Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who arrived in North Korea on Friday night for a three-day visit, praised North Korean troops deployed to Russia’s Kursk region for their role in supporting Moscow’s military offensive in Ukraine.

According to Russian news agencies TASS and RIA Novosti, Lavrov made the comments on Saturday at the start of a second strategic dialogue with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui. He said North Korea's "heroic soldiers" had sacrificed their lives alongside Russian forces to help liberate Kursk.

The Russian minister referred to Choe's earlier comment that the strategic partnership treaty signed last year between their leaders is "based on an invincible combatant brotherhood," assessing that such relationship was demonstrated in Kursk.

During the dialogue, which took place at the Wonsan Kalma tourist zone on North Korea's east coast, Lavrov promised to create conditions to attract more tourists from Russia, such as by increasing flights between the two countries.

Choe reaffirmed Pyongyang’s commitment to deepening cooperation with Moscow, saying North Korea "unconditionally and invariably" supports Russia's policies to defend its sovereignty and territory, describing them as efforts to protect international justice from imperialist hegemony.

She added that Pyongyang is prepared to faithfully implement the bilateral treaty between the two sides.