The Russian Foreign Ministry released a statement on its website on the 12th, stating that Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov and North Korean Foreign Minister Choi Sun Hee held the second round of strategic dialogues at the foreign minister level in Wonsan, North Korea, on the same day.
The statement said both sides exchanged views on the situation in the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia, and clarified that they would work together to resolve current issues through political and diplomatic channels, and jointly resist the hegemonic ambitions of external powers that attempt to escalate tensions in Northeast Asia and even the entire Asia-Pacific region.
After the strategic dialogue ended, Lavrov said both Russia and North Korea believed that the unresolved issue of the Korean Peninsula had a negative impact on the overall situation in Northeast Asia and equal and mutually beneficial cooperation among countries in the region. External powers attempting to form a “narrow group alliance” in the Asia-Pacific region and promote NATO infrastructure construction were “dangerous.” The North Korean side expressed its firm support for Russia’s special military operation. The Russian side thanked the North Korean People’s Army for its contribution to the recovery of Kursk State.
Lavrov also said that with the signing of the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Russia and North Korea in June 2024, positive progress has been made in cooperation between Russia and North Korea in economy, trade, humanities and other fields. The two sides will also resume sea routes and actively promote the development of tourism.
Lavrov arrived in Wonsan on the 11th to begin a three-day visit to North Korea. On the 12th, North Korean Party Secretary General and State Council Chairman Kim Jong Un met with Lavrov in Wonsan.