Russia said yesterday that the West's claims about military cooperation with North Korea are inaccurate and added that relations with Pyongyang are not directed against third countries, nor do they threaten security in the region, reported Reuters, quoted by BTA.
The agency reported on April 25, citing Washington's claims that China is providing a berth for a US-sanctioned Russian cargo ship involved in transporting weapons from North Korea to Russia, as satellite images from Britain's Institute for Military Research show , which Reuters has.
The ship has made at least 11 deliveries between the North Korean port of Rajin and Russian ports between August 2023 and now, according to data from the institute, which tracked the vessel's movements as part of a project related to the use of publicly available sources to monitor North Korea's sanctions circumvention networks.
In response to a request for comment on the subject, the Russian Foreign Ministry said today that "accusations against Moscow and Pyongyang of military cooperation are baseless and unfounded.
"As far as the British Research Institute is concerned, we do not feel that we are under any obligation to report to anyone the inaccurate information disseminated by such bodies, which no one has authorized or charged with the responsibility of monitoring compliance with the international regime of sanctions", the Russian statement said.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Moscow is strengthening its relations with North Korea on the basis of common interests.
"The cooperation is not directed against third countries and does not threaten security in the region and the world as a whole," the ministry said. "At the same time, our country, as a member of the UN Security Council, pays increased attention to the problems related to peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and the implementation of UN resolutions aimed at reducing the level of threats," he wrote in the statement.