The Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia has agreed on joint geological exploration at offshore hydrocarbon facilities in North Korea, and is discussing exploration for gold, iron, and REM.
The head of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation Alexander Kozlov took part in the intergovernmental commission with the DPRK in Pyongyang. One of the outcomes of this meeting was an agreement on joint geological exploration in the offshore hydrocarbon areas of North Korea. The relevant department of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation will prepare an exploration plan based on data from North Korean geophysical maps. In addition, the Russian Federation and the DPRK touched upon the topics of exploration for gold, iron and rare earth metals.
During the intergovernmental commission, issues of trade turnover between the countries, primarily food, were also discussed. Flour, corn and soybean oil are mainly exported from Russia to North Korea, but it is planned to test the supply of meat. Russia and Korea also intend to develop cooperation in culture, sports, and education.