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Russian authorities announced that the Secretary General of the Russian Security Council, Sergei Shoigu, met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang on Friday as part of the “continuation of the strategic dialogue.”
The visit came as Moscow seeks ammunition for its more than 30-month-old war in Ukraine, and as Western countries accuse Pyongyang of supplying Moscow with weapons.
Russian President Vladimir Putin visited North Korea in Wonju, where he signed a mutual defense agreement with the isolated state.
“The meetings in Pyongyang took place in a friendly and trusting atmosphere, in line with the agreements reached by the leaders of the two countries during the state visit of President Vladimir Putin,” the Russian Security Council said in a statement.
He added that the Shoigu-Kim meeting would provide “an important contribution towards the implementation” of the defense treaty.
Shoigu served as Russia’s defense minister until last May.
Western countries and South Korea have denounced the Russia-North Korea defence treaty, while Ukraine said it had found North Korean shells on the battlefield.
Russia and North Korea are among the countries subject to the most sanctions in the world.
Moscow has historical ties with Pyongyang since the Soviet Union helped found North Korea, and ties have strengthened since the 2022 war in Ukraine that led to a rupture in ties with the West.
