Russia throws weight behind North Korea against US

Russia on Thursday assured North Korea that it would fully support its polices and has put its weight behind Pyongyang against the US.

Speaking to officials at a banquet, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov marked the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Russia and North Korea and said mutual support and solidarity between the two countries is based on traditional friendly relations.

North Korea "is a genuine independent sovereign state firmly defending its sovereignty and security without yielding to any pressure of the United States and the West," the Korean Central News Agency quoted Lavrov, who arrived in Pyongyang on Wednesday, as saying.

He added that Moscow fully supports all policies of the government and people of North Korea to safeguard the sovereignty, development, and interests of the state.

Lavrov was warmly welcomed on Wednesday on his arrival in Pyongyang, where he will have a bilateral meeting with his North Korean counterpart Choe Son Hui and is expected to meet the nation's leader, Kim Jong-Un.

Relations between Russia and North Korea have gotten closer following an official visit by Kim to Moscow last month.

Welcoming her Russian counterpart, Choe said the people of both countries have long been firmly united and closely cooperating in the struggle to achieve common causes.

"She expressed the expectation that a satisfactory result would be made during this visit of the Russian Foreign Minister to expand the comprehensive and constructive bilateral relations on to a higher level according to the historic agreement made by leaders of the DPRK (North Korea) and Russia," the agency said.

Separately, South Korea warned that it would impose "powerful" sanctions against North Korea and Russia if Moscow offers military technology to Pyongyang.

"If Russia offers military technology to North Korea, it indicates a serious threat to South Korea's security. Then we cannot help but seek powerful sanctions against Russia and North Korea with the U.S. and other nations," Seoul-based Yonhap News quoted Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho as saying.

Tension in the Korean Peninsula has grown following North Korean missile launches and South Korean-US military drills.

On Thursday, Seoul's Navy kicked off multinational naval mine warfare exercise involving Belgium, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines, in waters south of the Korean Peninsula in an effort to enhance combined operational capabilities.