Zakharova announced the return of dialogue with the DPRK to the “pre-Covid channel”

Relations between Russia and North Korea are gradually returning to the level that existed before the coronavirus pandemic. This was stated by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova in an interview with TASS on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF).

“Now, lately, one way or another, this interaction is entering a pre-Covid direction. <...> Our contacts are developing literally on a daily basis in a number of areas,” she said.

Cooperation between the countries was to a certain extent paused due to the coronavirus pandemic, which was not so easy for the Korean Peninsula, the diplomat added. The DPRK recognized the first case of COVID-19 in the country only in May 2022; before that, the authorities did not report infections.

Russian President Vladimir Putin previously announced plans to strengthen ties and expand cooperation with the DPRK. Relations between Moscow and Pyongyang are based on the principles of friendship, good neighborliness and mutual respect, the head of state believes. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un confirmed his readiness to develop bilateral relations even during the pandemic. North Korean Ambassador to Moscow Shin Hong Chol, in turn, noted that the country intends to “strengthen military camaraderie and cohesion with Russia in the fight against a common enemy.” Kim Jong-un called the United States the main enemy of the DPRK .

In September, Kim Jong-un arrived in Russia on an official visit. This is his second trip to the country. The first time the leader of the DPRK visited Russia was in 2019, shortly before the start of the pandemic. He called his return visit a demonstration of the importance of strategic relations between Moscow and Pyongyang.

As a source in the Russian delegation told RBC, negotiations between the North Korean leader and Russian President Vladimir Putin are scheduled to take place on September 13. On September 16, he will meet with the head of the Ministry of Defense Sergei Shoigu.