Russian Ambassador to North Korea Alexander Matsegora said it would be appropriate to include the North during the combined military exercises of Russia and China.

Speaking to Moscow’s state-run TASS new agency on Saturday, the ambassador shared his personal opinion, saying that Pyongyang's inclusion seems proper but that he did not know of any related preparations.

Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu, who met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on a visit to Pyongyang in July, reportedly agreed on military cooperation between the two sides.

In a briefing to the National Assembly last month, South Korea's National Intelligence Service said Shoigu is believed to have proposed the sale of artillery and missiles to the North as well as a combined military drill.

Referring to United Nations Security Council sanctions against the North, the Russian ambassador said they would not be able to stop Moscow and Pyongyang from reinforcing bilateral relations, calling them "ineffective."

[Photo : YONHAP News]