Russia, N. Korea conclude military cooperation

0 Comments | Asian Political News, April 30, 2001

MOSCOW, April 27 Kyodo

(EDS: MORE DETAILS)

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Ilya Klebanov and North Korean Defense Minister Kim Il Chol concluded an agreement in Moscow on Friday to upgrade North Korea's weapons systems, the Russian news agency Interfax said.

The agreement would lead to the resumption of supply of Russian arms to North Korea, virtually interrupted since the breakup of the Soviet Union.

According to Interfax, Klebanov, who in charge of the Russian arms industry, said Russia would help North Korea modernize its existing weapons systems.

The remarks suggest that the Russians would primarily help North Korea upgrade its aging weapons systems, supplied mainly by the former Soviet Union, instead of selling new weapons systems to Pyongyang.

Kim, who arrived in Moscow on Thursday for a three-day visit, also met separately with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov on Friday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who visited North Korea in July last year, has apparently decided to use arms sales -- one of the few diplomatic levers available to Russian policy-makers -- to expand Russian influence with Pyongyang.

Moscow's decision to resume arms sales to North Korea, however, is likely to trigger a backlash from South Korea as well as Washington, which has taken a tough line toward Pyongyang under the administration of President George W. Bush.