Pyongyang, Sep 14 (UNI) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reassured Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu at a meeting in Pyongyang that the North Korean government will expand cooperation with Russia in the spirit of the comprehensive strategic partnership treaty, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.
The Russian Security Council said in a statement Friday that Shoigu visited Pyongyang on September 13, where he was received by Kim.
During the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Pyongyang on June 18-19, Russia and North Korea signed an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in healthcare, medical education and science, an agreement on the construction of a border automobile bridge across the Tumannaya River, and a new Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
The latter document is designed to replace the basic Treaty of Friendship, Good-Neighborliness and Cooperation between the countries of February 9, 2000. The new treaty will be of unlimited duration, it is subject to ratification and will enter into force on the date of the exchange of ratification instruments.
Article 4 of this treaty assumes that if one of the parties is subjected to an armed attack by any state or several states and finds itself in a state of war, the other party will immediately provide military and other assistance with all means at its disposal in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter and in accordance with the legislation of Russia and North Korea.
In addition, according to Article 8, the parties establish mechanisms for conducting joint activities to strengthen defense capability in the interest of preventing war and ensuring regional and international peace and security.
