The head of Russia's Security Council Sergei Shoigu met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Friday, just months after the Kremlin signed a mutual defense agreement with Pyongyang.
The visit also comes as Moscow seeks more arms for its war in Ukraine, and as the West accuses Pyongyang of sending weapons to Russia.
Russia's Security Council said Friday's meeting between Shoigu and Kim "took place in a uniquely trusting and friendly atmosphere."
It added that the meeting would make an "important contribution to the implementation" of the defense pact the two countries signed during President Vladimir Putin's visit to North Korea in June.
The two countries have been allies since North Korea's founding after World War II and have drawn even closer since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 isolated Putin on the global stage.
The United States and its allies have accused North Korea of providing ammunition and missiles to Russia for its war, and the mutual defense treaty has fueled concerns about more deliveries.
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