The recent meeting of Russia’s Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika and his counterpart from Pyongyang was devoted to … human rights protection.
“During the meeting with the chief prosecutor of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Yuri Chaika, Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation, expressed confidence that the meeting will facilitate the development of the countries’ cooperation in the field of protecting human rights and combating international organized crime,” the official statement reads.
As predicted, Russia is actively seeking a counterbalance to the growing U.S. presence in the Asia-Pacific region. Moscow is also strengthening ties with its allies, including the Kim dynasty communist dictatorship.
An example of such cooperation was Pyongyang’s decision to ease the visa regime for Russian entrepreneurs and employees of Russian companies. The package also promised them a number of privileges which are not available to citizens of the DPRK, i.e. access to the Internet and mobile phones.
Such conditions will be provided only for Russians, Alexander Galushko, Head of the Ministry of Development of the Far East, proudly announced.No other nation, even the Chinese, is treated like Russians in North Korea.
In 2013, the total trade turnover between Russia and North Korea totalled $112 mln. In the near future, the partners want it to come up to the amount of 400-500 million, and the key task is to reach the ceiling of $1 bn per year.
To relax mutual payments, the parties agreed on effect them in rubles too; Moscow forgave $10 billion of Pyongyang’s old debts in exchange for permission to build a gas pipeline and railway in North Korea. Under the new agreement, North Korea may pay for Russian goods by shares in minings.
In addition, Moscow has recently accepted the proposal of importing food from the DPRK.
“We agreed that Rossielсhoznadzor would coordinate the mutual recognition of certificates for the supply of vegetables, fish and seafood from the DPRK to Russia”, Alexander Galushko said.
Food from North Korea is to go to the markets of the Russian Far East first. Moscow and Pyongyang also consider a possibility to build a pig breeding farm and aprocessing plant in North Korea, which will supply Russia with pork.
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It must be really a priority order of the party and the government, because the daily food standard enjoyed by citizens of North Korea continues to decline – instead of 600 grams recommended earlier, now it makes up 420 grams.
Cez/MS, www.belsat.eu/en/, following newsru.com
