PYONGYANG – North Korea and Russia have opened their first road bridge over the Tumen River, connecting the border cities of Rason and Khasan.
The one kilometer long two-lane bridge, is expected to facilitate the two countries to more easily move cargo and passengers between their border.
Pyongyang state media said the bridge will be used for `personnel exchanges, tourism and trade’.
But Ukrainian investigative organisation Truth Hounds said the bridge is intended `primarily to establish a covert military logistics corridor’ to support Russia in the Ukraine war.
It comes amid stronger ties between the countries since the start of the Ukraine war, with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un previously pledging that they would help each other in the event of `aggression’ against either country.
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin described the bridge as a new symbol of friendship, while North Korea’s Prime Minister Pak Thae Song said it was a historical event.
Up to 300 vehicles and 2,323 people can cross the bridge daily, Russian state news TASS reports.
The Russian government said the bridge will initially be used to transport cargo, Reuters reported, before opening to passenger traffic later this year.
Mishustin said the bridge would provide, a powerful impetus for the further development of trade, economic, scientific, technological and cultural cooperation.
North Korea and Russia agreed on a plan to build the road bridge at a bilateral summit in Pyongyang in June 2024, and construction began near the existing Tumen River rail bridge in April last year. -BBC/REUTERS/AGENCIES
