Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will visit North Korea July 11-13 to strengthen military relations between the two countries.

Lavrov will travel to North Korea at the invitation of the country's foreign ministry, a month and a half after Sergei Shigu's visit. The visit underscores the strengthening of military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, which includes the provision of North Korean weapons and troops for support in the war in Ukraine. The two countries have signed a mutual defense agreement and North Korean troops have been confirmed on the Ukrainian front alongside the Russian army.