North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met with Russian Minister Alexander Kozlov on Monday for the 11th North Korea-Russia Commission on Trade, Economic, and Scientific Cooperation. The meeting underscored the deepening partnership between the two nations in various fields following their recent treaty on comprehensive strategic cooperation.
Kim and Kozlov reviewed progress in their bilateral ties and discussed expanding trade, economic initiatives, and scientific exchanges to promote mutual prosperity. According to North Korean state media, Kim emphasized the importance of fostering intergovernmental collaboration to strengthen the two countries’ development.
Photographs released by North Korean media captured Kim personally greeting Kozlov outside the meeting venue. They highlighted a cordial atmosphere as the two leaders exchanged handshakes and engaged in conversation. Kim also escorted Kozlov out of the building, signaling the importance of Pyongyang’s relationship with Moscow.
Kozlov’s warm reception mirrored the high-level treatment given to North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui during her meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow earlier this month. The Russian delegation, led by Kozlov, arrived in Pyongyang on Sunday and participated in a welcoming banquet at the Yangakkdo International Hotel later that evening. Key attendees included Kozlov, Russian Ambassador Aleksandr Matsegora, and North Korean Minister of External Economic Affairs Yun Jong Ho.
Meanwhile, discussions between the two nations continue at a sectoral level, including trade and scientific exchanges. On Monday, Chief Vladimir Zarudnitsky and his military delegation also arrived in Pyongyang, raising speculation about intensified military cooperation. Although the delegation’s specific agenda was not disclosed, discussions are expected to focus on exchange programs and partnerships between military educational institutions.
Simultaneously, a Workers’ Party of Korea delegation, led by Pyongyang City Party Committee Secretary Lee Myung Cheol, departed for Russia, further underscoring the high-level exchanges between the two countries.
Since last year’s North Korea-Russia summit, high-level exchanges between the two nations have intensified, particularly following the signing of the treaty on comprehensive strategic partnership and the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia.
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