Moscow and Pyongyang want to expand cooperation
According to official statements from Moscow, Russia and North Korea want to intensify their joint cooperation. According to the Interfax news agency, Russia's Minister of Natural Resources and Mineral Resources Alexander Kozlov said that the two countries had agreed to jointly explore for oil and gas off the coast of Korea at a meeting of a bilateral government commission.
In addition, deposits of gold and rare earths are to be explored. The aim is to "comprehensively strengthen ties", said Kozlov against the backdrop of accusations that North Korea is supplying weapons for Russia's war of aggression.
According to Kozlov, the expansion of Russian flour, corn and soybean oil supplies was discussed. According to the UN, the supply situation in North Korea, which is extremely isolated from the outside world, is precarious. The media have repeatedly reported on hunger in the country. Kozlov left open what Pyongyang would deliver to Moscow in return for the food. In September, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin received North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for a state visit. During his five-day visit, Kim visited many arms companies.
Officially, neither country has announced any arms deals. The Kremlin rejected accusations from the White House that North Korea was supplying weapons for Putin's war of aggression against Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the USA had presented no evidence of this and pointed out that Russia and North Korea had agreed to expand cooperation in "all areas" - no one had to interfere.
- Russia and North Korea also discussed the potential for increasing Russia's supply of flour, corn, and soybean oil to North Korea, which is facing food insecurity according to the UN.
- Amidst this cooperation, Alexander Kozlov, Russia's Minister of Natural Resources and Mineral Resources, mentioned that weapons-related discussions were not explicitly mentioned during Kim Jong Un's visit to Moscow.
- Additionally, the rumors about North Korea supplying arms for Russia's war in Ukraine were dismissed by the Kremlin, who stated that both nations agreed to expand cooperation in all sectors, including oil and gas exploration, as per the meeting of the bilateral government commission.
- During the state visit in September, Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un also discussed strategies for exploring oil and gas resources off the coast of Korea, aiming to enhance their diplomatic relations, which could potentially benefit from each other's natural resources like armor and minerals such as gold and rare earths.
Source: www.dpa.com
