Lavrov meets with North Korean counterpart, Pyongyang reaffirms support for Russia

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with his North Korean counterpart Choe Son Hui in the coastal city of Wonsan on Saturday, during which Pyongyang reaffirmed its support for Russia's military actions in Ukraine, the Russian news agency TASS reported.

Lavrov departed the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur on Friday, following a meeting of foreign ministers of the regional organization ASEAN, arriving the same day in Wonsan, North Korea, a young coastal resort but also known for its missile and naval facilities.

Lavrov's visit is the latest high-level meeting between the two countries as they strengthen strategic cooperation, which now includes a mutual defense pact.

"We exchanged views on the crisis in Ukraine... Our Korean friends confirmed their unwavering support for all the objectives of the special military operation, as well as for the actions of the Russian leadership and armed forces," Lavrov was quoted as saying.

TASS has further reported that the new seaside resort in Wonsan could attract Russian tourists to North Korea, citing the direct train line from Moscow to Pyongyang and the project to build a bridge over the Tumen River, which is located on the border between North Korea, China and Russia.

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TASS also quoted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko as saying that other high-level delegations will visit North Korea later this year.

Rudenko stressed that the strategic partnership agreement "clearly meets the needs that have changed over the past decades and strengthens the traditionally friendly and neighborly Russian-Korean relations, raising them to a new level."