Russia and North Korea signed Wednesday a key pact to lift their ties to a “comprehensive strategic partnership” after Pyongyang rolled out the crimson carpet for President Vladimir Putin.
Norht Korea’s chief Kim Jong Un expressed “unconditional support” for “all of Russia’s policies,” together with “a full support and firm alliance” for Putin’s warfare with Ukraine at a summit with the Russian chief who was making his first go to to the North in 24 years.
Putin’s go to, which prone to reshape many years of Russia-North Korea relations at a time when each face worldwide isolation is being watched intently by Seoul and Washington, which have expressed concern about their rising navy ties.
The response from China, the North’s primary political and financial benefactor and an more and more vital ally for Moscow, has been muted.
An honor guard together with mounted troopers, and a big crowd of civilians gathered on the Kim Il Sung Square by the Taedong River working by means of the capital in a grand welcome ceremony for Putin.
The scene included kids holding balloons and big portraits of the 2 leaders with nationwide flags adorning the sq.’s primary constructing.
Kim and Putin then rode to the Kumsusan Palace for summit talks.
“We highly appreciate your consistent and unwavering support for Russian policy, including in the Ukrainian direction,” Russian state news company RIA quoted Putin as saying initially of the talks.
Putin mentioned Moscow was preventing the hegemonic, imperialist coverage of the United States and its allies, Russian media reported.
Kim mentioned North Korea-Russia relations have been coming into a interval of “new high prosperity”.
Following a summit with prime aides then a one-on-one talks that lasted two hours, Putin and Kim signed a complete strategic partnership pact, Russian media reported.
Unwavering help
Putin’s international coverage aide has mentioned the pact could be the premise for a broader cooperation between the 2 nations.
Earlier, Kim mentioned the more and more difficult safety setting world wide referred to as for a stronger strategic dialogue with Russia.
“And I want to reaffirm that we will unconditionally and unwaveringly support all of Russia’s policies,” Kim informed Putin.
North Korea “expresses full support and solidarity to the Russian government, army and people in carrying out a special military operation in Ukraine to protect sovereignty, security interests, as well as territorial integrity,” he mentioned.
Russia was hit with U.S.-led Western sanctions after Putin launched a full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine in February 2022 in what Moscow referred to as a “special military operation.”
Putin arrived at Pyongyang’s airport earlier within the day. After Kim welcomed him with an embrace, the 2 shared “pent-up inmost thoughts” on the experience to the state visitor home, North Korean state media mentioned.
The nations’ partnership was an “engine for accelerating the building of a new multi-polar world” and Putin’s go to demonstrated the invincibility and sturdiness of their friendship and unity, North Korea’s state news company KCNA mentioned.
Russia has used its warming ties with North Korea to needle Washington, whereas closely sanctioned North Korea has received political backing and guarantees of financial help and commerce from Moscow.
The United States and its allies say they concern Russia might present help for North Korea’s missile and nuclear applications, that are banned by U.N. Security Council resolutions, and have accused Pyongyang of offering ballistic missiles and artillery shells that Russia has utilized in its warfare in Ukraine.
Moscow and Pyongyang have denied weapons transfers.
‘Alternate commerce mechanism’
After Putin’s arrival in Pyongyang was delayed by hours, he emerged from his airplane at a pre-dawn hour and was greeted by Kim on the crimson carpet alone, with out the grand ceremony the North placed on for Chinese President Xi Jinping on his 2019 go to.
The pair then rode in Putin’s Russian-made Aurus limousine to the Kumsusan State Guest House.
State media photographs confirmed streets of Pyongyang lined with portraits of Putin and the facade of the unfinished and vacant 101-story pyramid-shaped Ryugyong Hotel brightly lit with an enormous message “Welcome Putin.”
Wednesday’s agenda features a gala live performance, state reception, honor guards, doc signings and an announcement to the media.
In a sign that Russia, a veto-wielding member of the U.N. Security Council, is reassessing its strategy to North Korea, Putin praised Pyongyang forward of his arrival for resisting what he mentioned was U.S. financial strain, blackmail and threats.
In an article for North Korea’s official ruling celebration newspaper, he promised to “develop alternative trade and mutual settlement mechanisms not controlled by the West” and “build an equal and indivisible security architecture in Eurasia.”
Putin’s article implied that there was a possibility for North Korea’s financial progress inside an anti-West financial bloc led by Russia, a message prone to enchantment to Kim Jong Un, wrote Rachel Minyoung Lee, an analyst with the 38 North program in Washington.
Source: www.dailysabah.com