The bilateral treaty, signed in June during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to North Korea, establishes a comprehensive strategic partnership between Moscow and Pyongyang based on the principles of mutual respect for each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The document also emphasizes the importance of non-interference in one another's internal affairs and the desire to create a just and multipolar world order.
The agreement shall replace the original Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance between Russia and North Korea, signed in 2000, and be of unlimited duration.
According to Article 4 of the agreement, should one of the parties be subjected to armed aggression by any state or a group of states and find itself in a state of conflict, the other party shall immediately provide military and other forms of assistance with all available means in accordance with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter and in accordance with Russian and North Korean laws.
Article 8 of the treaty reads that the parties shall establish mechanisms for joint activities aimed at strengthening their defense capacities in pursuit of preemptive measures against the threat of war, thus fostering regional and global peace and security.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko has earlier said that this treaty does not amount to creating a military alliance.