Russian defence minister Andrey Belousov arrived in North Korea for a meeting with his counterpart on Friday, deepening concerns about their expanding strategic and military cooperation in the backdrop of the war in Ukraine.
Mr Belousov was received at the Pyongyang airport by defence minister No Kwang-chol and greeted him with a ceremony featuring a military band.
Photos showed North Korean military officials clapping as a banner in the background read: "Complete support and solidarity with the fighting Russian army and people."
The visit, kept under the wraps until the last minute, coincided with South Korea scrambling fighter aircraft to intercept six Russian and five Chinese warplanes.
“Today, friendly ties between Russia and North Korea are expanding across all areas, including military collaboration. We are committed to implementing all agreements reached at the highest level,” Mr Belousov told Mr No during their meeting, news agency Tass reported.
"We look forward to close and fruitful cooperation with our Korean comrades," the Russian minister said. "Today’s discussions will further strengthen the Russian-Korean strategic partnership in the defence industry.”
Strategic analysts said the visit was meant to signal that Russian president Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had deepened their partnership to break out of isolation and strengthen their international footing.
The US, Ukraine and South Korea have accused Pyongyang of sending more than 10,000 soldiers to aid Russia’s war in Ukraine as well as artillery systems, missiles and other military equipment.
“The Russian defence minister doesn’t visit North Korea just to celebrate bilateral ties,” said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul. “This visit indicates Putin and Kim’s military cooperation in violation of international law is about to increase further.”
Mr Belousov praised the strategic partnership agreement signed by Mr Putin and Mr Kim in June. The agreement underlined the “highest level of mutual trust” between the two leaders, the Russian minister said, and “also the mutual desire of our countries to further expand mutually beneficial cooperation in a complex international environment”.
Mr No praised the expanding military cooperation between the two countries and reiterated North Korea’s support for Russia’s war in Ukraine, describing it as a “just struggle to protect the country’s sovereign rights and security interests”.
The Russian minister’s visit came soon after South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol met with Ukrainian defence minister Rustem Umerov in Seoul. Mr Yoon pushed for responding to North Korea’s support of Russia by formulating countermeasures.
South Korea’s military said on Friday that it launched warplanes after 11 Chinese and Russian military jets entered its air defence identification zone. The aircraft lingered for a period of four hours before leaving without incident.
Chinese state media said Chinese and Russian militaries organised and carried out the ninth joint strategic air patrol in “relevant airspace” over the Sea of Japan.
Additional reporting by agencies.
