Russia's Resources Minister visits North Korea on first direct Moscow-Pyongyang flight

Seoul, July 29 (IANS) Russia's Natural Resources minister has visited North Korea for a meeting on trade and technology cooperation, travelling aboard the first flight of the resumed direct air route between Moscow and Pyongyang, state media reported Tuesday.

North Korea's External Economic Relations Minister Yun Jong-ho held a meeting with Russia's Natural Resources Minister Alexander Kozlov in Pyongyang on Monday, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

According to KCNA, Yun and Kozlov each head the North Korean and Russian sides of the Intergovernmental Committee for Cooperation in Trade, Economy, and Science and Technology.

The KCNA said they discussed the implementation of a protocol signed by the committee in November last year during Monday's meeting.

Separate working-level committee meetings were also held for each sector to strengthen cooperation, along with a welcoming reception hosted by the North Korean ministry, the KCNA also noted.

Also on Monday, Premier Pak Thae-song held a courtesy meeting with Kozlov, Yonhap news agency reported.

For his trip to North Korea, Kozlov and his delegation travelled on a Nordwind Airlines flight, the first direct service from Moscow to Pyongyang.

The plane departed Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow on Sunday evening and arrived in the North Korean capital on Monday, marking the first regular air connection between the two capitals since the mid-1990s.

North Korea subsequently held an event celebrating the resumption of the direct Moscow-Pyongyang route, the KCNA said, quoting Kozlov as touting advances in bilateral cooperation in the traffic and transportation sectors.

"This is another clear sign of rapidly evolving bilateral friendship," Yun was quoted as saying during the event.

Nordwind plans to operate the direct flight once a month for the time being, in order to stably manage demand for the route.

--IANS

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