North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui (right) met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow on Sunday, KCNA reported Tuesday. [Yonhap]
North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui (right) met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow on Sunday, KCNA reported Tuesday. [Yonhap]

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, visiting Russia, met with her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov and reaffirmed a shared commitment to deepening bilateral ties across all areas "for generations to come."

KCNA released a communique Tuesday on the third strategic dialogue between the two countries' foreign ministers, outlining the results of the talks.

On Monday, Choe and Lavrov held talks in Moscow on the implementation of the "Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership" signed in June 2024, as well as plans for high-level exchanges and broad-based cooperation between the two countries.

The two sides also exchanged views focused on diplomatic coordination over major international issues of mutual concern, and announced they had reached full agreement on all matters discussed.

Both sides assessed that the comradely personal relationship between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un serves as the most powerful driving force underpinning the durability and future-oriented nature of bilateral ties. They also reaffirmed their unwavering political will to accelerate the strengthening and development of relations across all areas for generations to come, regardless of changes in the situation, under the strategic decisions of their top leaders.

Russia expressed full support for all of North Korea's efforts and measures to defend its sovereign rights and security interests, and declared its opposition to any hostile acts threatening the country's current status and right to development.

In response, North Korea expressed its steadfast support for all of Russia's domestic and foreign policies aimed at eliminating the root causes of the conflict in Ukraine and defending national sovereignty, territorial integrity and international justice against what it called imperialist hegemonic moves.

The statement was seen as lending weight to Russia's position on the war in Ukraine.

Both sides also agreed to continue exchanges at various levels between their foreign policy agencies, including through higher-level strategic dialogues.

The two countries characterized the third strategic dialogue as "a meaningful occasion for further accelerating the all-round expansion and development of bilateral relations in keeping with the spirit of the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and for making a positive contribution to peace and security in the region and the world."

KCNA also reported that Choe met with Putin at the Kremlin on Sunday, the day before the strategic dialogue. The agency said Choe "respectfully conveyed the warmest comradely greetings of Comrade Kim Jong-un to Comrade Putin," adding that Putin "expressed gratitude and asked that his best wishes be conveyed to Comrade Kim Jong-un."


moone@heraldcorp.com