Russian, North Korean defense ministers pledge to develop cooperation

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russia on Wednesday agreed to develop bilateral ties with North Korea as defense ministers of the two countries met in Pyongyang.

"I am glad to meet and get to know you, and I gratefully took advantage of your invitation to visit Pyongyang, the capital of a friendly state, and I am grateful to my Korean friends for the rich program offered," Sergey Shoygu said as he started the meeting with Kang Sun-nam.

"We have an opportunity not only to work actively, but also to learn a lot of interesting things about the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea), your culture, traditions and sights," he said.

The Russian military delegation arrived in North Korea on Tuesday to take part in the celebrations dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Korean people in the Patriotic Liberation War.

"I am convinced that today's talks will contribute to strengthening cooperation between our defense departments," Shoygu said, adding that bilateral cooperation strengthened in the post-war period.

"The visits of warships, official visits of high-ranking representatives of defense departments, exchanges of delegations at the working level, training of personnel contributed to the preservation of peace and stability on the Korean peninsula," the Russian defense chief said.

He stressed that the DPRK is an important partner of Russia, with which it is connected by a rich history of cooperation and a common border.​​​​​​​