Both Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-Un spoke to the press after their historic summit in Pyongyang today. Putin closed his remarks by reporting on the military accord between the two nations:
“The Treaty on Comprehensive Partnership signed today contemplates, among other things, mutual assistance in the event of aggression against one of the parties thereto.
“I would like to draw your attention to the statement from the United States and other NATO countries about the supply of long-range high-precision weapons, F-16 aircraft and other technology-intensive arms and equipment for delivering strikes at Russian territory. In fact, it was not just a statement. It is already happening. This is a grave violation of the restrictions to which the Western countries committed under various international obligations.
“In this context, the Russian Federation does not rule out developing military and technical cooperation with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea under the document signed today. Our Korean friends take an objective and balanced stance on Ukraine settlement and understand the true original causes of this crisis. The D.P.R.K. leadership’s course once again confirms that the D.P.R.K. truly pursues independence, autonomy and sovereignty.”
For his part, Kim Jong-Un stated: “I express deep satisfaction that the great interstate treaty, which meets the strategic nature of relations between the D.P.R.K. and the Russian Federation in the new era, was concluded only nine months after Comrade President Putin and I discussed the signing of a new interstate treaty at the Vostochny Cosmodrome last September. I want to emphasize that the emergence of the most comprehensive treaty in the history of Korean- Russian relations is unthinkable without the outstanding foresight, dauntless will and decisiveness of Comrade President of the Russian Federation, a dearest friend of the Korean people.
“This comprehensive agreement between the two countries … will become a driving force accelerating the creation of a new multipolar world, free from domination, enslavement, hegemony, and violence.”
On economic aspects of the agreement, Putin said:
“Let me mention the strategically important project to upgrade the Khasan-Rajin railway with the participation of our company, Russian Railways. Renovation is underway of the combined 1435/1520 mm gauge from the Khasan checkpoint in Russia to the Korean port of Rajin, where an up-to-date multimodal transloading terminal has been built. All this is used, among other things, in the interests of third countries; in particular, a large batch of coal has been supplied to Chinese consumers. Passenger rail traffic between our countries has been restored. The first tourists have already used it…. Relations in agriculture as well as in culture and humanitarian spheres are also developing.”
On the global crisis, Putin said: “Our countries consistently defend the ideas of creating a more just and democratic multipolar world order. It must be based on international law and cultural and civilizational diversity. Both Russia and Korea conduct an independent and autonomous foreign policy and do not accept the language of blackmail and dictate. We are against the practice of applying politically motivated sanctions and restrictions. These illegitimate actions can only shatter the world political and economic system.
“Our opinions regarding the root causes of escalation of the military-political tension coincide. They include the U.S. confrontational policy of expanding its military infrastructure in the sub-region, which is accompanied by a substantial increase in the scope and intensity of various military exercises involving the Republic of Korea and Japan, which have a hostile nature towards the D.P.R.K.. Such steps undermine peace and stability on the peninsula and threaten the security of all the countries of Northeast Asia.”
