Russia-North Korean Relations Concern Two Countries, Should Not Bother Third States, Kremlin Says

© AP Photo / POOL / Go to the mediabankRussian President Vladimir Putin visited the Vostochny Cosmodrome and met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un
Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the Vostochny Cosmodrome and met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 13.09.2023
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On Tuesday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in the Russian town of Khasan bordering China and North Korea. The two leaders plan to discuss bilateral partnership between the countries, including in the field of military cooperation. Western press is running a fanfare amid rumors of North Korean arms sales to Russia.
Russia and North Korea cooperate for the benefit of the peoples of the two countries, and not against anyone, bilateral relations should not be a matter of concern to third states, the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Speaking about cooperation between the two states, he noted that the full range of relations implies, among other things, cooperation in the field of military-technical cooperation and an exchange of views on security, all this will also be carried out.
"All other issues concern only our two countries, two sovereign countries, and should not be a matter of concern to third states. Because our cooperation is carried out for the benefit of the peoples of our two countries, but not against anyone," Peskov stressed in an interview with the Russian TV channel.
In addition, the spokesman told Sputnik that the talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in an expanded format have ended, followed by a tete-a-tete meeting.
The meeting of the leaders is taking place at the Russia's Vostochny spaceport in the Amur region. Commenting on what is planned to be discussed, Putin himself said earlier that he plans to talk about all issues "slowly."
Peskov answered in the affirmative to whether the negotiations in an expanded format had ended. They lasted about an hour and a half. According to him, Putin and Kim Jong Un continued one-on-one communication.

"Yes. [The discussion] is underway," the spokesperson noted.

Besides Peskov, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, the country's Deputy Prime Minister of Industry Denis Manturov, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk, Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin, Russian Transport Minister Vitaly Saveliev, and Minister of Natural Resources Alexander Kozlov participated in the negotiations within the delegation from the Russian side.
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at Vostochny Spaceport - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 13.09.2023
Putin Meets Kim Jong Un at Vostochny Spaceport
As for the Russian position on sanctions against Pyongyang, Peskov underlined that Russia maintains its position on the issue at the UN, but this cannot, should not and will not be an obstacle to the development of Russian-North Korean relations.
"Absolutely. Russia maintains its position in the UN, in the Security Council. But this cannot, should not and will not be an obstacle to the further development of Russian-North Korean relations," he underscored.
Moreover, the spokesman stated that Russia, despite any claims and remarks from the outside, will build relations with the Pyongyang on a mutually beneficial basis.
"The truth is, first of all, that North Korea is our close neighbor. And despite any "remarks", "claims" from the outside, we will build relations with our neighbors in a way that is beneficial to us and beneficial to our neighbors," Peskov noted.
The North Korean leader arrived at the Vostochny spaceport on Wednesday. Together with Putin, they inspected the assembly of the launch vehicle of the Angara space rocket complex, the construction of the Angara launch complex and the launch complex of the Soyuz-2 space rocket complex.
Kim Jong Un is on a visit to Russia for the first time since 2019, he arrived in his famous armored train. He is accompanied on the trip by North Korean Foreign Minister Choi Soon Hee, head of the Department of Military Administration of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party Park Jong Cheon, deputy head of the Central Military Committee Lee Byung Chol.
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