Russian youth delegation explores cooperation with North Korea

A Russian youth delegation is seen in this photo provided by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency, Pyongyang, June 4. Yonhap

A Russian youth delegation has met with North Korean officials during a visit to Pyongyang and discussed ways to enhance exchanges and cooperation between their youth associations, state media reported Wednesday.

Grigory Petushkov, chairman of the National Council of the Russian Association of Youth and Children, met with his North Korean counterpart, Mun Chol, the previous day, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The Russian delegation arrived in Pyongyang on Monday.

"At the meeting, both sides discussed ways to further strengthen exchange and cooperation among youth groups of the two nations," the KCNA said.

In late April, North Korea sent a delegation of youth league officials to Russia's Far East in an effort to strengthen cooperation. The exchange of visits is seen as a sign of deepening relations between the two countries.

North Korea and Russia have significantly expanded the scope of their cooperation following the summit between the North's leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin in September last year. (Yonhap)