North Korea ratifies treaty on “comprehensive strategic partnership” with Russia

Pyongyang and Moscow strengthen ties amid heightened tensions with the West

Key Points

• North Korea's parliament has ratified a treaty on "comprehensive strategic partnership" with Russia.
• The move comes amid heightened tensions between North Korea and the West, with Pyongyang firing a record number of missiles this year.
• Russia has been one of North Korea's few remaining allies, and the two countries have been cooperating on a range of issues, including defense and economics.

North Korea's parliament has ratified a treaty on "comprehensive strategic partnership" with Russia, state media reported on Thursday.

The move comes amid heightened tensions between North Korea and the West, with Pyongyang firing a record number of missiles this year. Russia has been one of North Korea's few remaining allies, and the two countries have been cooperating on a range of issues, including defense and economics.

The treaty was signed by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin during a summit in Pyongyang in September. It calls for the two countries to strengthen cooperation in a wide range of areas, including politics, economics, culture, and security.

The treaty is the latest sign of the growing ties between North Korea and Russia. In recent years, the two countries have held joint military exercises and signed a number of economic agreements.

The ratification of the treaty is likely to further anger the United States and other Western countries, who have been trying to pressure North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program.

The United States has imposed a number of sanctions on North Korea in an effort to pressure the country to give up its nuclear weapons program. However, North Korea has refused to give up its nuclear weapons, and has continued to develop its nuclear and missile programs.

Russia has been more cautious in its approach to North Korea, and has called for a diplomatic solution to the crisis. However, Russia has also been critical of the United States' sanctions on North Korea, and has said that they are counterproductive.

The ratification of the treaty between North Korea and Russia is a significant development, and it is likely to further complicate the already complex relationship between the two countries and the West.