Russian interior minister arrives in North Korea for talks


Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev attends the annual extended session of the Ministry of Internal Affairs' board in Moscow, Russia, March 4, 2026. Sputnik/Sergei Fadeichev/Pool via REUTERS

April 21 (Reuters) - ⁠Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev ⁠arrived in North Korea for ‌talks on cooperation between the two allies, the ministry's spokeswoman Irina Volk said ​early on Tuesday.

"Issues of ⁠cooperation between ⁠the two countries in the field ⁠of law ‌enforcement will be considered," Volk wrote on ⁠Telegram. Pictures showed the minister being ​greeted ‌on arrival in Pyongyang.

Russia and ⁠North Korea ​have forged closer relations since Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine ⁠and in 2024 signed ​a "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty" during a visit to Pyongyang by Russian President ⁠Vladimir Putin.

The pact includes a mutual defence provision.

Under the terms of the treaty, North Korea ​sent some 14,000 ⁠soldiers to fight alongside Russian forces ​in western Russia's ‌Kursk region after a ​large Ukrainian incursion.

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Stephen Coates)

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