New Delhi: North Korean state media reported on Sunday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russia’s Defense Minister discussed practical issues aimed at strengthening military cooperation, in what Pyongyang is pivotal in bilateral relations.

The North Korea Boss along with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu inspected inspected Russia’s strategic bombers, hypersonic missiles and nuclear-capable warships on Saturday during Un’s visit.

While continuing his week-long trip by train, Kim will visit several food businesses, Russian news agency RIA reported on Sunday.

The visit of Kim Jong Un, who rarely leaves his country, is being perceived as  “a fresh heyday of friendship and solidarity and cooperation is being opened up in the history of the development of the relations between the DPRK and Russia,” state KCNA news agency said, reported Reuters.

Meanwhile, this raised concerns among United States and its allies about the warming military relationship between the two neighbors as Russia continues to invade Ukraine and North Korea continues to develop missiles and nuclear weapons.

West Alerts Against Russia, North Korea Ties

South Korea and the United States said on Friday that military cooperation between North Korea and Russia would violate United Nations sanctions against Pyongyang and that the allies would ensure there would be a price to pay.

Russia has gone out of its way to publicize Mr. Kim’s visit, repeatedly hinting at the prospect of military cooperation with North Korea, a country founded in 1948 with support from the Soviet Union.

Kim and Shoigu “exchanged constructive opinions on practical issues related to strengthening strategic and tactical coordination, cooperation and mutual exchanges between the two countries’ armed forces and in the field of defense and security,” he said.