North Korea-Russia ties will continue to deepen, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said in a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin as Pyongyang marked the 81st anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War Two. Kim was responding to a congratulatory message from Putin marking Saturday’s anniversary. The Russian president highlighted the historical bond between the two countries, saying Soviet soldiers had fought against Japan and that cooperation would continue across “all the sectors”, North Korea’s state news agency KCNA reported. Kim expressed confidence in the future of relations, saying the partnership had preserved a shared history of struggle and longstanding traditions of friendship. Pyongyang and Moscow have significantly strengthened ties since North Korea began providing troops and weapons to support Russia’s war in Ukraine. The deployment represents North Korea’s most significant military involvement in an overseas conflict since the Korean War in the 1950s. Qatar rejects Iran claim that three fighter pilots were captured alive The Russian ship Pallada also arrived at Wonsan port on Saturday for a goodwill visit linked to North Korea’s liberation anniversary. North Korean provincial officials and Russian embassy staff welcomed the vessel, KCNA reported. The growing relationship has drawn international attention as North Korea expands military cooperation with Russia while continuing to develop its nuclear and missile programmes. Meanwhile, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called for renewed dialogue with Pyongyang during a Liberation Day ceremony on Saturday. Lee said the two Koreas needed safeguards to prevent renewed conflict and urged them to work towards replacing the existing armistice with a formal “peace regime”. The Korean War ended in 1953 with a ceasefire rather than a peace treaty, leaving the peninsula technically at war. Lee said dialogue could also explore measures to limit North Korea’s nuclear programme. Pyongyang, however, has rejected his proposals and continued to criticise joint US-South Korean military exercises as provocations. Relations between Russia and Japan have also faced renewed tensions. On Thursday, Putin visited an island off Hokkaido that Japan claims but which Moscow seized shortly after Japan surrendered in 1945. Post navigation Qatar rejects Iran claim that three fighter pilots were captured alive
