MOSCOW: Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov arrived in North Korea on Friday for military discussions, Russia’s defence ministry said, following a strategic partnership treaty signed in June between the two countries.

Belousov will hold talks with North Korean “military and military-political officials”, the ministry said in a statement without elaborating.

The Russian defence chief was welcomed in Pyongyang by his North Korean counterpart, No Kwang Chol, with a military band playing tunes.

Russia and North Korea have strengthened their military ties since Moscow launched a special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022.

North Korea and Russia are both under UN sanctions – the former for its nuclear weapons programme and the latter for the Ukraine conflict.

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The two countries signed a strategic partnership treaty in June which was ratified recently, providing for mutual military assistance in case of an attack and cooperation in the face of Western sanctions.

The United States and South Korea accuse Pyongyang of sending more than 10,000 soldiers to help Russia fight Ukraine, with experts saying leader Kim Jong Un was eager to gain advanced technology and battle experience for his troops in return.