In a significant diplomatic development, Russian President Vladimir Putin has affirmed the successful implementation of a groundbreaking comprehensive strategic partnership treaty with North Korea, marking a new era in bilateral relations between the two nations. The Russian leader conveyed his sentiments through an official congratulatory telegram addressed to North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un, emphasizing the treaty’s role in substantially expanding productive cooperation across multiple domains including political affairs, economic trade, and humanitarian initiatives.
President Putin particularly highlighted the heroic contributions of Korean People’s Army personnel during the liberation of Russia’s Kursk region, characterizing their military participation and subsequent demining operations conducted by North Korean sappers on Russian territory as tangible evidence of the “unwavering friendship and brotherhood in combat” shared between Moscow and Pyongyang.
The foundation of this strengthened alliance was formally established on June 19, 2024, during President Putin’s official state visit to Pyongyang, where both nations signed the comprehensive strategic partnership agreement. This new pact, which possesses an open-ended duration without expiration, effectively supersedes the previous bilateral agreement on friendship, good neighborliness, and cooperation that had been in effect since the year 2000.
The upgraded treaty signifies a substantial deepening of diplomatic and military ties between Russia and North Korea, potentially altering regional security dynamics and representing a notable shift in the geopolitical landscape of Northeast Asia and beyond.