Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov thanked North Korea for its support for Russia’s war on Ukraine as he arrived in Pyongyang.
The visit comes days after the United States said North Korea had transferred munitions to Russia to boost its warfighting capabilities.
Russian state television ran footage of crowds greeting Mr Lavrov in the pouring rain on Wednesday, alongside a welcoming party waving pom poms.
Mr Lavrov said his visit was an opportunity to discuss implementing the unspecified agreements between Russian president Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un when they met at Russia’s Vostochny Cosmodrome in September.
He later attended a reception where North Korean foreign minister Choe Son Hui said the countries were building an “unbreakable comradely relationship” under the “strategic” decisions and leadership of Mr Kim and Mr Putin, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.
According to comments published by Russia’s Foreign Ministry, Mr Lavrov told the reception Russia deeply values North Korea’s “unwavering and principled support” for its war on Ukraine, as well as Pyongyang’s decision to recognise the independence of Russian-backed separatist regions in eastern Ukraine.
“We are fully aware that many countries worldwide share similar viewpoints and assessments, but only a select few, such as the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea), explicitly declare their solidarity with Russia and can express it openly,” Mr Lavrov said.
KCNA said he praised North Korea for “firmly defending its sovereignty and security, remaining unfazed by any pressure of the US and the West,” and that Russia fully supports the policies of Mr Kim’s government to protect its security and economic interests.
Earlier in the week, Mr Lavrov accompanied Mr Putin on a visit to Beijing which underscored Chinese support for Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
The September meeting between Mr Kim and Mr Putin triggered Western concerns about a potential arms alliance in which North Korea would supply Russia with munitions to fuel its war in Ukraine in exchange for advanced Russian technologies to boost Mr Kim’s military nuclear programme.
After arriving in Pyongyang, Mr Lavrov hailed Mr Putin’s meeting with Mr Kim as historic, saying their talks demonstrated the countries’ “deep interest in the development of comprehensive co-operation”.
The White House has said North Korea has delivered more than 1,000 containers of military equipment and munitions to Russia.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the US believes Mr Kim is seeking sophisticated Russian weapons technologies in return for the munitions to boost North Korea’s military and nuclear programme.
The flurry of diplomacy between Moscow and Pyongyang underscores how their interests are aligning in the face of intensifying confrontations with the United States.
