Moscow: Russia and North Korea will soon begin the construction of a road bridge between the two countries, Moscow’s ambassador to Pyongyang announced on Thursday. “I hope that soon we will witness the ceremonial start of construction of this, without exaggeration, the most significant and important, from a practical point of view, object of bilateral cooperation in all the recent decades,” Aleksandr Matsegora told the Russian state news agency RIA in an interview.
According to Anadolu Agency, Matsegora noted that the construction of the bridge has not yet started, but both sides are currently engaged in preparatory work, finalizing design documentation, and forming construction teams and equipment columns. He expressed confidence that the wait would not be long and mentioned the potential for other bilateral projects, which will be discussed soon.
The construction of the road bridge comes after Moscow and Pyongyang signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement in June 2024, during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s first visit to North Korea in 24 years. An agreement on the construction of the motorway bridge was also signed at that time.
The two countries share a 17-kilometer (10.6-mile) land border along the Tumen River, a 520-kilometer (324-mile) river in northeast Asia that also marks part of China’s border with North Korea.
Matsegora also addressed Russia’s recent dialogue with the US, stating that North Korea has responded positively to the resumption of contacts between Moscow and Washington. Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoygu informed North Korean leader Kim Jong-un about these contacts during a visit to Pyongyang last Friday. Matsegora underscored that North Korea harbors no concerns that these interactions could affect the strategic partnership and friendship between the two nations.