A delegation led by Russia’s defense minister Sergei Shoigu plans to visit North Korea to discuss strengthening military cooperation, Politico writes.
The Russian delegation will be in North Korea from the 25th of July to the 27th of July before North Korea celebrates the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War. The Russian Defense Ministry wrote on its Telegram channel that the visit will help strengthen Russia-North Korea military relations and will be an important step in the development of interstate cooperation.
Moscow and Pyongyang have maintained warm relations at a time when the Kremlin is at war in Ukraine which has isolated Russia
from civilized countries. Last year, Russia bought millions of artillery shells and missiles from North Korea. In a way, this is indicative of Russia’s problems in getting supplies from other places. Western sanctions have affected Russia’s ability to buy weapons and electronics, and Moscow has turned to countries such as Iran and North Korea.
News of Shoigu’s visit follows China’s announcement that it will send a high-level delegation to Pyongyang to mark the national holiday. It is the first official trip by Chinese officials to North Korea since it closed its borders due to the pandemic.
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