St. petersburg: Russian and North Korean transport ministers met in St. Petersburg on Sunday to discuss strengthening transportation links between the two countries, including the construction of a road bridge across the Tumen River, which borders Russia, North Korea, and China, as stated by the Russian Foreign Ministry.

According to Anadolu Agency, Andrey Nikitin and Cho Jong Hyon also focused on other cooperation areas, emphasizing the long-standing strategic partnership between their respective transport agencies. "One of the key topics of the meeting was the construction of a road bridge across the Tumen River, which will connect the state borders of the two countries," the ministry's statement highlighted.

The ministry described the bridge project as "both a complex engineering challenge and a driver of economic, trade, and cultural ties between the two nations," noting its implementation is under special government supervision and is progressing according to schedule. The completion ceremony and the opening of traffic on the bridge are planned for summer 2026.

Efforts are also underway to develop the Khasan automobile border crossing point, which is expected to accommodate 300 vehicles and over 2,000 individuals daily. The parties discussed railway transport cooperation, reporting a fourfold increase in passenger traffic in the first two months of 2026 compared to the same period in the previous year.

Tourist routes are a focal point of the railway developments, with routes planned between Vladivostok and Rajin. In 2025, four trips were completed, transporting 286 tourists, and six trips are already planned for 2026.

The ministry recognized the launch of a direct regular flight between the capitals of Russia and North Korea as "an important achievement," with the service commencing in July 2025. Aviation cooperation extends to discussions about training North Korean civil aviation specialists in Russian educational institutions.

Finally, the ministers signed an agreement on the mutual recognition of seafarers' diplomas, aiming to unify the requirements for education and training of seafarers between the two countries.