North Korea’s external economic minister has held talks with Russia’s deputy industry and trade minister to discuss ways to further bolster bilateral economic cooperation, state media reported Wednesday.

Yun Jong-ho and Roman Chekushov held talks on Tuesday, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said without further elaborating. A Russian delegation, led by Chekushov, arrived in Pyongyang on Monday.

Other participants also included Kim Hwa-sik, North Korean vice minister in charge of the chemical industry, the report said.

Observers said North Korea and Russia may have discussed ways to increase cooperation in areas of coal gasification and the chemical industry.

North Korea has been ramping up efforts to use coal to produce synthetic gas as it is hard to acquire petroleum under U.N. sanctions against its nuclear and missile programs. With coal gasification, the North aims to produce fuel and chemical materials, but it is believed to make little progress in achieving the goal.

North Korea and Russia hav
e been expanding military and other cooperation following the summit between the North’s leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin last year. Kim and Putin signed a new partnership treaty in June in Pyongyang that includes a mutual defense clause.

Source: Yonhap News Agency