Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Tuesday (30/7) that the security agreement signed between Russia and North Korea is destabilizing the region. She also said that the transfer of weapons from North Korea to Russia is a “serious violation” of UN Security Council resolutions.
Wong made the remarks to reporters in the city of Paju after visiting the nearby Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that separates North and South Korea, which are technically still at war.
“We see Russia acting in a way that does not support peace, but rather increases tensions,” he said, referring to a security agreement signed between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin in June.
Under the pact, North Korea and Russia agreed to provide immediate military assistance if either of them came under armed attack.
Washington and its allies are also concerned about increasing military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, accusing the two countries of violating international law by trading weapons used by Russia in the conflict against Ukraine.
Pyongyang and Moscow deny any arms deals.
“The ongoing transfer of arms from North Korea to Russia is a serious violation of UN Security Council resolutions,” Wong told reporters.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul also expressed concern over North Korea and Russia's military cooperation during his meeting with Wong, Seoul's foreign ministry said.
“Korea and Australia share a common vision to uphold a rules-based order in the region,” Cho said.
South Korea and Australia will also begin dialogue on economic security and hold annual talks on climate, the ministry said in a statement.
Wong arrived in Seoul after attending a summit in Laos within the ASEAN framework and joining the Quad foreign ministers' meeting in Tokyo on Monday (29/7) with his counterparts from the United States, Japan and India.
In his statement, Wong said that Australia and South Korea plan to strengthen their strategic alignment by expanding bilateral and regional cooperation, including in energy transition and economic security. (ah/es)
