South Korea voiced regret Thursday over a new agreement signed between Russia and North Korea committing the two countries to military technology cooperation in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

The foreign ministry made the comment after Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signed the “comprehensive strategic partnership” treaty after their summit talks in Pyongyang, which Kim hailed as an elevation of the bilateral relations to a new height.

“We express our regret that, despite repeated warnings from the international community, Russia and North Korea have signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty and openly mentioned the military-technological cooperation, which directly violates U.N. Security Council resolutions,” ministry spokesperson Lim Soo-suk said in a press briefing.

South Korea will “sternly respond to any actions that threaten our security by working with the international community, including our allies and friendly nations,” Lim said.

L
im added that the government plans to announce its official position regarding the content of the treaty.

The government is expected to hold a National Security Council meeting later in the day to discuss the outcome of the Putin-Kim summit.

On South Korea’s relations with Russia, a foreign ministry official repeated the government stance that there should be no action whatsoever that would pose a security threat to Seoul.

“It’s our position that we will take counteraction should there be any such acts,” the official said, without elaborating.

The official added that Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, who is in New York to attend a U.N. Security Council session this week, may use the opportunity to send out a message in relation to the Russia-North Korea summit.

Source: Yonhap News Agency