Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un have been planning it for years. “Mile Stone” for Russia and North Korea
The construction of a road bridge on the Tumen river, connecting Russia and North Korea, began on Wednesday. It will be located near the only other land connection between Russia and North Korea – a railway bridge of Soviet times, called the “friendship bridge” – writes the BBC.
The Russian Information Agency TASS said that the bridge will be 1 km long and its construction is to last 1.5 years.
Relations between the two countries have flourished in recent years. North Korea provided ammunition and army to support Russia's war with Ukraine.
On Thursday, North Korea and Russia simultaneously organized the foundation stone laying ceremony for the construction of the bridge in their border cities, according to state media agencies of both countries. The agencies have announced that the Prime Minister of North Korea Pak Thae Song and Russian Prime Minister Michail Miszustin participated in the ceremony via video connections.
“This is a great milestone for Russian-Korean relations,” said Russian Prime Minister Michał Miszustin. “We create a reliable basis for closer cooperation between our two countries, the way to an open and fruitful dialogue.”
According to earlier media reports, the investment is worth $ 91 million.
The decisions to build a new bridge were made during the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Pyongjang last year, where he signed a contract on “comprehensive strategic partnership” with North Korea – the highest level of bilateral relations for Moscow.
The new bridge is the latest signal of the deepening of the bond between the two strict sanctions of the states that have approached each other since Russia's starting full -size invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
On Monday, North Korea for the first time confirmed that she sent the combat troops to Russia to help her regain part of the Kurski region. Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked North Korea and promised that he would not forget about the sacrifices of North Korean soldiers for Russia.
According to the South Korean government, made available on Wednesday, North Korea sent about 15,000 soldiers to Russia, and 4,700 of them were killed or wounded. In exchange for the supply of conventional weapons by North Korea, Russia gave her air defense rockets, electronic struggle equipment, drones and technology to launch spy satellites, in accordance with the assessment of South Korea.
Source: BBC, Associated Press
