Moscow says the challenge will enhance commerce and spotlight the 2 international locations’ robust alliance.
Russia and North Korea have begun development of their first-ever highway bridge on the Tumen River, which kinds the pure border between the allied international locations, describing it as an emblem of their deepening partnership.
Saying the challenge on Wednesday, Russia’s Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin mentioned it might scale back transport prices, facilitate commerce and promote tourism.
“That is actually a milestone for Russian-Korean relations,” Mishustin mentioned throughout a video assembly with Pak Thae-song, chairman of North Korea’s Supreme Individuals’s Meeting.
“The importance goes far past simply an engineering process … it symbolises our widespread want to strengthen pleasant, good-neighbourly relations and enhance interregional cooperation,” he added.
There’s already a rusting, Soviet-era rail bridge throughout the Tumen River.
“One other highway will permit entrepreneurs to considerably enhance the amount of transport (items) and scale back transport prices – and, in fact, open up good prospects for tourism,” mentioned Mishustin.
Russia’s Kommersant newspaper mentioned the bridge might be prepared by mid-2026.
‘Everlasting historic monument’
Russian state TV aired footage from the positioning, exhibiting North Koreans wearing fits, standing in line throughout a ceremony marking the beginning of development.
“It is going to turn into an everlasting historic memorial construction symbolising the unbreakable Korean-Russian pleasant relations,” North Korea’s Pak Thae-song mentioned, in response to a Russian translation.
The governor of Russia’s Primorye area, Oleg Kozhemyako, who attended the ceremony, mentioned he hoped it might enhance contact between the international locations.
“There are various sportspeople and youngsters going there,” he mentioned, with out elaborating.
Individuals watch footage of North Korean troopers doing fight coaching in Russia, throughout a information programme on the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, April 30 (Ahn Younger-joon/AP)
North Korea and Russia, two of probably the most sanctioned international locations on this planet, have leaned into their alliance throughout Russia’s conflict in Ukraine.
Pyongyang has repeatedly voiced robust assist for Russia’s invasion and even despatched 1000’s of its personal troops to struggle alongside the Russians.
About 600 North Korean troopers have died within the conflict, South Korean lawmakers mentioned Wednesday, citing intelligence officers.
North Korea can be accused by Kyiv of supplying Russia with heavy weapons it has utilized in battle, together with a missile that killed a dozen folks in Kyiv final week.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin signed a strategic partnership with Pyongyang final yr that dedicated each international locations to offering speedy army help to one another utilizing “all means” needed if both faces “aggression”.
Putin has since hailed the North Korean troops preventing Ukraine, with the Kremlin even contemplating them parading on Purple Sq. throughout World Conflict II commemorations on Might 9.
