North Korea announced the imminent visit of Putin

North Korea has announced that it has agreed to further strategic and tactical cooperation with Russia to establish a "new multi-polarized international order".

The two countries are working to build a united front in the face of growing tensions with the United States, AP writes.

The North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs also stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin has confirmed his willingness to visit Pyongyang and said that it could come "in the near future".

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier this week that Moscow hoped the visit would be agreed and that Putin would travel to North Korea "in the foreseeable future."

Deepening ties between Moscow and Pyongyang are viewed abroad with suspicion and concern.

North Korea is believed to have supplied Russia with ammunition and ballistic missiles that were used in the invasion of Ukraine. That is why there is a fear that Russia could provide technical assistance to North Korea's weapons programs, AP writes.

Both Pyongyang and Russia have rejected Washington's and Seoul's accusations of North Korean arms transfers to Russia.

Earlier this week, Russia reaffirmed its close cooperation with North Korea during a three-day visit to Moscow by Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui.

As a symbol of closer cooperation, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited the Russian Far East in September last year and met with Putin there. This was followed by the visit of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to Pyongyang.

North Korea's Foreign Ministry condemned the United Nations (UN) Security Council for convening an emergency meeting following the country's latest ballistic test.

The North Korean ministry said the test firing on January 14 was one of the country's regular activities to improve its defense capabilities and did not pose a threat to its neighbors.

South Korea called on the UN Security Council on Thursday to "break its silence" on North Korea's escalating missile tests and threats.

Russia and China, both permanent members of the Security Council, have blocked efforts led by the United States to tighten sanctions on North Korea over its recent weapons tests, underscoring divisions deepening over Russia's war on Ukraine.