Russia offering joint prospecting projects to N. Korea

MOSCOW. June 27 (Interfax) - Russia is ready to offer joint prospecting projects to North Korea, Russian Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Co-Chair of the Russian-North Korean Intergovernmental Commission Alexander Kozlov said.

"We see potential in mineral development. North Korea is rich in various mineral resources. Once the Covid-19 restrictions are lifted in North Korea, we are ready to delegate our specialists to a discussion of joint prospecting projects," Kozlov said, as he opened a meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission co-chairs on Tuesday.

Russia appreciates solid relations with Pyongyang, he said.

"Our cooperation started to recover from the pandemic in 2022 and 2023. Bilateral sub-commissions for scientific and technical cooperation and timber industry resumed their work. We are waiting for the Korean side to open borders, so that we could meet in person and discuss issues crucial for bilateral relations," Kozlov said.