Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said sanctions against North Korea were declared by the United Nations Security Council(UNSC), not Russia, as he asserted that Moscow will develop cooperative ties with Pyongyang.

Speaking to Russian state broadcaster Russia 1 on Sunday, Lavrov responded to a question about Moscow lifting sanctions against the North to enhance ties by saying that any concerns should be taken up with the UNSC, adding that Russia will develop an equal and fair interaction.

The remarks come amid rising concerns over a possible arms deal between Pyongyang and Moscow following their leaders' summit last week, which would be in violation of the sanctions imposed by the Council, of which Russia is a veto-wielding permanent member.

Russian natural resources minister Alexander Kozlov wrote on social media that the two sides will convene a session of an intergovernmental committee in Pyongyang in November, where follow-up measures to the summit will likely be discussed.

The minister said the two sides are also testing a flight service between them, with operations to launch in the near future.

[Photo : YONHAP News]