North Korean science, technology delegation leaves for Russia

This photo, taken from the Telegram account of the Russian Embassy in North Korea, shows Ri Chung-gil, left, chairman of the North's State Commission of Science and Technology, meeting Russian Ambassador to Pyongyang Alexander Matsegora before leaving for Moscow, May 13. Yonhap

A North Korean science and technology delegation has departed for Russia, state media said Tuesday, as the two countries are deepening their bilateral ties following the summit of their leaders in September.

The delegation led by Ri Chung-gil, chairman of the State Commission of Science and Technology, left for Moscow on Monday to attend the eighth meeting of a government committee on trade and economy as well as science and technology cooperation between the two nations, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

In a separate release on Telegram, the Russian Embassy in North Korea said Ambassador Alexander Matsegora saw off the delegation — comprising heads of major research centers, experts and diplomats.

The embassy said the committee is set to adopt a protocol that reflects agreements on bilateral cooperation in areas of science and technology, and basic research.

Matsegora was quoted as saying the protocol could include details on organizing a science fair in Pyongyang in September to mark the first anniversary of the summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin at Russia's Vostochny spaceport last year.

As part of the visit, Ri will hold a meeting with Valery Falkov, the Russian minister of science and higher education, while delegation members will visit key institutions, including Moscow State University and the Russian Academy of Sciences, it added.

The visit is the latest in a series of deepening exchanges between Pyongyang and Moscow in a wide range of areas following the Kim-Putin summit in September.

But cooperation in the field of science and technology with North Korea, with the exception of those for medical purposes, is banned under U.N. Security Council Resolution 2321, which was adopted in 2016 in response to the North's fifth nuclear test.

The KCNA also reported that Premier Kim Tok-hun has sent a congratulatory message to Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, who has been reappointed following Putin's reelection. (Yonhap)