The State Duma has ratified the agreement on comprehensive partnership between Russia and the DPRK

The State Duma of the Russian Federation ratified the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Russia and the DPRK at a meeting on Thursday, October 24. One of its articles provides for mutual military assistance, Radio Liberty reports.

The treaty was signed in June during Russian President Putin's visit to Pyongyang. He also submitted the document for ratification by deputies on October 14.

The agreement has 23 articles, they provide for expanded cooperation in science and technology, including in the fields of space and nuclear energy, trade, economics and investment. The agreement is valid indefinitely. The DPRK is one of the poorest countries in the world, which has been under UN sanctions for decades due to the development of nuclear and missile programs. One of the points of the agreement also provides for assistance from the parties to each other in circumventing the sanctions.

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The fourth article of the agreement provides for the obligation of the parties to provide each other with military assistance “by all means available to them” if one of the parties is subjected to an armed attack by one or more states.

The DPRK is one of several countries in the world that openly supports Moscow in the war with Ukraine. Pyongyang has acknowledged Russia's annexation of Ukrainian territory and, according to numerous reports, is supplying the Russian army with ammunition.

On Wednesday, October 23, The Wall Street Journal, citing an anonymous source, reported that the document signed by Putin and Kim contains a secret clause authorizing the sending of North Korean troops to the war in Ukraine. The existence of the secret clause has not been confirmed by other sources, and the newspaper did not write how such an agreement might be formulated.

Prepared by: Sergey Daga