Pyongyang: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has urged the parliaments of Russia and his country to make efforts toward "fully" implementing bilateral treaties. Kim made the comments during a meeting with Russian Federation State Duma speaker Byacheslav Volodin in Pyongyang on Thursday, North Korean state media reported.

According to Anadolu Agency, the Duma is the lower house of Russia's federal parliament. Volodin is in North Korea to attend events marking the 80th anniversary of the Korean Peninsula's liberation from Japanese occupation. Kim stressed the role of the two parliaments in 'strengthening the political and cooperative relations between the two countries and creating a political and legislative environment favorable for the development of bilateral relations.'

Kim expressed hope that the parliaments in the two countries would make joint efforts to ensure that new interstate treaties and agreements are fully implemented in all fields. Kim, who received a liberation day letter from Russian President Vladimir Putin, noted the importance of these efforts. Last year, Kim and Putin signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement, requiring their militaries to support each other in case of a third-party attack on either of the two.

The discussion between Kim and Putin extended over the phone earlier this week, where the North Korean leader extended "full support" to Russia as Putin prepared to meet with US President Donald Trump in the US state of Alaska. Volodin applauded the contributions of North Korean soldiers who joined Russian forces in the Ukraine war in the Kursk region, acknowledging their efforts against Ukrainian forces and their role in defending Russia's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Russia expressed gratitude towards the North Korean people and government for their decisive assistance during critical times. While Pyongyang has not disclosed the number of its soldiers deployed to Russian frontlines against Ukraine, South Korea has claimed that North Korea sent thousands of its personnel. Bodies of many North Korean soldiers, believed to have died in the ongoing Moscow-Kyiv war, were returned to Pyongyang.