North Korea says its alliance with Russia is absolutely solid, reaffirming the strength of bilateral cooperation as the two nations marked the first anniversary of their mutual defense treaty. 

The Rodong Sinmun, the official paper of the North’s ruling Workers’ Party, said Thursday that the comprehensive strategic partnership treaty signed June 19 last year marked a “new chapter” in the friendship between the two nations.

The paper touted the treaty as the fruit of the extraordinary leadership of the two nations’ leaders. 

It cited the dispatch of North Korean troops to Russia as a representative example of its implementation, saying the deployment drew global attention. 

It also stressed that it is the unwavering stance of the two peoples to deepen their militant friendship and achieve mutual prosperity and well-being.