North Korea's major defense treaty with Russia comes into full effect as details come to light
Pyongyang, North Korea - A treaty on a comprehensive strategic partnership between North Korea and Russia has come into force, state media reported on Thursday.
The KCNA news agency said that the treaty came into force after the ratification documents were exchanged in Moscow on Wednesday.
The agreement takes the military cooperation between the two countries to a new level and stipulates that they will provide mutual assistance should either country be attacked.
Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov had previously said that the partnership is aimed at reducing the risk of war in north-east Asia, also stating that cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang in the military field was actively expanding.
KCNA said that the treaty – signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in June – functions as a "legal framework for realizing the far-reaching plan of the state leadership of the two countries."
The Moscow-Pyongyang partnership under the agreement "will be a powerful security device" promoting the wellbeing of both North Korean and Russians, as well as helping regional stability and pushing for an "independent and just multi-polarized world order without domination, subjugation, and hegemony," KCNA said.
The treaty comes into force as North Korea has already provided thousands of soldiers to support Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to Western intelligence.
Cover photo: via REUTERS