Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un examine a Soyuz rocket launch pad during their meeting at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the far eastern Amur region of Russia on Sept. 13, 2023. [AP/YONHAP]
North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui said Saturday that North Korea and Russia “share a common position on all strategic issues,” describing bilateral ties as being at “the level of allied relations,” during a ceremony unveiling a commemorative plaque for the late Russian Ambassador to North Korea, Alexander Matsegora, at the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang.
The move is seen by experts as an attempt to showcase the growing breadth and closeness of North Korea-Russia ties through Matsegora, who served as Russia's longest-serving ambassador to North Korea. Matsegora was appointed Russia's ambassador to North Korea in December 2014 and served in Pyongyang for more than a decade before dying in December last year at the age of 70.
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“By consistently defending their core mutual interests, [Moscow and Pyongyang] are achieving success in the comprehensive expansion and development of bilateral relations and in improving the well-being of the peoples of the two countries,” Choe said, according to Russia's state-run TASS news agency.
