North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his nation wants to build a "forward-looking" relationship with Russia, state media reported on Oct. 19.
Kim's remarks came as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visits Pyongyang to meet with Kim and other officials.
North Korea's government wants "to work out a stable, forward-looking, far-reaching plan for the DPRK-Russia relations in the new era," Kim said.
Lavrov thanked North Korea on Oct. 18 for its "fundamental, unequivocal support" for Russia's war against Ukraine.
Kim Jong Un made a rare international visit to Russia last month, traveling by armored train to meet with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in the far-eastern Amur Oblast. The visit signaled deepening ties between the two nations, and possibly resulted in a new arms deal.
U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said on Oct. 13 that North Korea had already sent Russia shipments of weapons and ammunition following the talks.
Katie Marie Davies
