Pyongyang: The top diplomats of North Korea and Russia have exchanged congratulatory messages on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule, the North's state media reported Wednesday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed in a message on Friday that Russia will "never forget" the accomplishments by North Korean soldiers in the Kursk front-line region during Moscow's war against Ukraine. He also stated that Russia will take "all necessary measures" to implement a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in June last year.
In a message dated Saturday, North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui thanked Moscow for sending delegations to celebrate the 80th anniversary of national independence on August 15, including the speaker of Russia's lower house, the Duma. She reaffirmed that the two nations will further develop their relations and strengthen strategic communications, as noted by the Korean Central News Agency.
Choe and Lavrov had previously met for the first round of strategic dialogue in Moscow in November, followed by another meeting held last month in North Korea's eastern coastal city of Wonsan. The collaboration between North Korea and Russia has been deepening, particularly in the military and economic sectors, since the mutual defense treaty was established last year.