Japan and South Korea expressed their concern on Thursday about a possible arms deal between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who held an unusual diplomatic meeting on Wednesday.
Japan warned of the risk of violating UN sanctions on North Korea’s weapons.
“We watch [as conversações entre Moscovo e Pyongyang] with concern,” said the new Japanese Foreign Minister, Yoko Kamikawa.
There is “a possibility that this could lead to a violation of the United Nations Security Council’s ban on arms-related transactions with North Korea,” he noted.
South Korean government representatives also expressed deep concern about a possible arms exchange and military cooperation agreement between Pyongyang and Moscow.
“We are seeing that relations between Russia and North Korea are getting closer. News about possible military cooperation between the two countries is worrying,” Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said during a forum in Krynica, Poland, according to the agency. Yonhap News. .
Han added that North Korea’s missile development represents a threat not only to East Asia but also to Europe, as Pyongyang’s missiles have the capacity to reach the entire continent.
“We need to know more about the detailed results of the Kim-Putin summit, but we are deeply concerned about military cooperation and arms transactions between the two nations,” Kim Yung-ho, US Unification Minister, said at a conference of press. Press conference: South Korea, ministry responsible for relations with the North.
“We once again call on North Korea and Russia to abandon illegal and reckless acts, which only worsen their isolation, and to respect international norms, including UN Security Council resolutions,” he added.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin accepted North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s invitation to visit North Korea, Pyongyang’s official news agency reported Thursday.
At the end of a meeting between the two leaders on Wednesday in Russia, “Kim Jong-un invited Putin to visit the DPRK [República Popular Democrática da Coreia] whenever convenient,” KCNA stressed, using North Korea’s official name.
“Putin amicably accepted the invitation and reaffirmed his unwavering desire to continue promoting the history and tradition of friendship between Russia and the DPRK,” the same source added.
Kim Jong-un met with Vladimir Putin during a rare visit to Russia aimed at strengthening bilateral relations, particularly military ones.
Putin declared that he sees “prospects” for military cooperation with North Korea, despite the international sanctions imposed on Pyongyang for its nuclear programs and the production of new missiles.
Kim Jong-un expressed his conviction of the victory of the army and people of “Great Russia” in Ukraine, during a lunch offered to him by Putin.
The United States warned North Korea on Wednesday that no country should help the Russian president “kill innocent Ukrainians,” stressing that Pyongyang will have to face the consequences if it does so.
Source: TSF
