SEOUL – North Korea’s Premier Kim Tok Hun met Russia’s Natural Resources Minister Alexander Kozlov and held talks on Thursday, North Korean state media reported.

The meeting took place in a “friendly atmosphere” with other senior officials on both sides present, according to the KCNA news agency, including Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin and North Korea’s Minister of External Economic Relations Yun Jong Ho.

Moscow and Pyongyang have been stepping up cooperation following their leaders’ summit in September.

A Russian delegation led by Mr Kozlov arrived in North Korea on Tuesday for a visit and has held discussions with their North Korean counterparts to expand cooperation in economy, science and technology, KCNA said.

The delegation also visited multiple places in the North Korean capital, including an exhibition for light industrial products, an art exhibition and a department store before leaving the city to head back to Russia on Thursday, according to the news agency.

North Korea and Russia have denied any arms deals, though Washington has accused Pyongyang of supplying military equipment to Russia for use in its war with Ukraine, and Moscow of providing technical military support to North Korea. REUTERS