Moscow: The visiting North Korean foreign minister declared on Saturday that Pyongyang would stand firmly on Russia's side "in its conflict with Ukraine till victory." Choe Son Hui was speaking during a meeting with her Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, after her arrival in Russia, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. According to Kuwait News Agency, Lavrov praised the solid relations bonding the Russian and North Korean armies. He stated, "The strategic partnership" between the two nations "aims at achieving stability in Northeast Asia." He explained that bilateral relations moved up to unprecedented levels over the past years, indicating that the close contacts had engaged the Russian and North Korean intelligence agencies. His remarks came against the backdrop of a Russian-North Korean agreement, signed on June 19, by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong Un, during a visit by the Russian leader to the Korean nation. According to the agreement, both nat ions are committed to help each other militarily, "along with other means," in case of "an armed offensive" on one of the two countries. The United States has declared that 8,000 North Korean troops are training in Russia, pending deployment in the fight against Ukraine, forecast soon. However, there have been no reactions from either Moscow or Pyongyang to the US reports.
