North Korea and Russia have declared that they are upgrading their bilateral relations to an alliance. 

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said in a joint press statement following his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Pyongyang on Wednesday that their countries' relations have reached a new level to an alliance. 

Kim assessed that a legal foundation has been laid for the two countries’ leadership to build strong nations while firmly safeguarding regional and world peace as well as security environments. 

He added that he is deeply content that the two great nations came to adopt a treaty befitting their relations in the new era just nine months after discussing such an agreement during his visit to Russia. 

The North and Russia signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty on Wednesday, which appears to have mentioned the upgrade of their ties to an alliance.