Australia’s foreign minister says Russia-North Korea defense deal is ‘risky for the world’

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Australia’s foreign minister said Tuesday the recent defense deal between North Korea and Russia was “destabilizing” and “risky for the world,” after she visited the tense border village shared by North and South Korea on Tuesday.

In June, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a pact stipulating mutual military assistance if either country is attacked, deepening worries about the expanding ties between the countries. The U.S. and its partners have steadfastly accused North Korea of supplying much-needed conventional arms to Russia for its war in Ukraine in return for military and economic assistance.

“I also want to say something about the security pact between North Korea and Russia. And say again, this is destabilizing. This is risky for the world and again we say Russia is behaving in ways which are not conducive to peace but are escalatory,” Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong told reporters following a visit to the southern side of the Korean border village of Panmunjom.

Wang condemned North Korea’s extended run of missile tests that she said threaten regional security. “We share great concerns about DPRK’s escalatory reactions, destabilizing actions,” she said, referring to North Korea by the acronym of its official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Also Tuesday, Wang met South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul in Seoul and agreed to work together with the international community to cope with the North Korean-Russian military partnerships. The two also agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation on economic security, climate change and other areas, according to South Korea’s Foreign Ministry.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have been