Seoul, Oct 12 (IANS): North Korea on Tuesday stressed its "invariable" friendship with Russia as they celebrated the 73rd anniversary of establishing ties, vowing to further enhance their cooperation against an "adverse environment".

Referring to the first meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin in April 2019, the North's Foreign Ministry said "an unwavering advance" in bilateral relations was "reaffirmed" and the "long-standing" relations will "invariably be strengthened and developed", reports Yonhap News Agency.

North Korea established diplomatic ties with Russia, then the Soviet Union, on October 12, 1948 -- the first diplomatic relations for Pyongyang.

Kim "is always paying deep attention to the development of the North Korea-Russia relations and is opening up a new development in the bilateral relations as required by the new era," the Ministry said in a statement released on its website.

"Even in the face of adverse environment caused by the global pandemic and the vicissitudes of international situation, the DPRK and the Russian Federation are ... continuously strengthening strategic cooperation with regard to the issue of bilateral relations and other international issues."

DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.