North Korean and Russian foreign ministers reaffirm their solidarity

Responding to North Korea’s ICBM, U.S. Strategic B-1B and F-16 fighter jets, South Korea’s F-15K and KF-16 fighter jets, and Japan’s F-2 fighter jets are conducting air exercises in the overlapping area of the South Korea-Japan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) east of Jeju Island on October 31. Courtesy of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

The foreign ministers of North Korea and Russia met to discuss follow-up actions following the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia. Both sides blamed the U.S. for the deteriorating situation and reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the North Korea-Russia treaty. There are also observations that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's upcoming visit to Russia may have been discussed.

The Rodong Sinmun reported on November 3 that North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hee and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a strategic dialogue in Moscow on November 1 (local time). “It was confirmed that the two sides' assessments of the current international situation are in line,” the two sides said, adding that ”the main cause of the deterioration of the situation is the provocative behavior of the United States and its followers.” Choi arrived in Moscow on October 30.

“The two sides reaffirmed their firm commitment to the exact implementation of the provisions of the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,” the statement added. The treaty was signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kim in June, and under Article 4 of the treaty, the North Korean military's 11th Army Corps was deployed to Russia.

“The Russian side expressed its full support for the steps being taken by the national leadership of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK),” the statement said. Russia's support includes not only the dispatch of troops, but also the launch of a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the Hwasong-19, on October 31.

The strategic dialog is expected to discuss how the two countries can jointly respond to international criticism of North Korea's deployment of troops to Russia. It is also likely to have detailed the military, economic, energy, and other support measures that North Korea will receive from Russia in exchange for the deployment. “Discussing each clause within four months after the signing of the North Korea-Russia treaty is a sign of accelerating multifaceted cooperation,” said Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University's Institute for Far Eastern Studies.

Some speculate that they may have discussed Kim’s visit to Russia next year. “Kim is expected to visit Russia on Feb. 23 next year, on the occasion of 'Defender of the Fatherland Day,'” said Doo Jin-ho, head of the International Studies Division at the Korea Institute for National Defense Analyses. In June, Putin expressed his intention to invite Kim to visit Russia.

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.