MOSCOW

Russian and North Korean transport ministers met in St. Petersburg on Sunday and discussed the construction of a road bridge across the Tumen River, which serves as part of the border between the two countries, as well as China, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

Andrey Nikitin and Cho Jong Hyon also addressed other important areas of cooperation, noting that the transport agencies of the two countries have remained strategic partners for many years, the ministry said in a statement.

"One of the key topics of the meeting was the construction of a road bridge across the Tumen River, which will connect the state borders of the two countries," it said.

The ministry described the project as "both a complex engineering challenge and a driver of economic, trade, and cultural ties between the two nations," noting that it is being implemented under special government supervision and is proceeding on schedule.

"The ceremony to mark the completion of the bridge and the opening of traffic is scheduled for summer 2026," it said.

Work also continues on the development of the Khasan automobile border crossing point, whose capacity will reach 300 vehicles and over 2,000 individuals per day, it said.

The parties also discussed cooperation in railway transport, noting positive dynamics in passenger traffic, which increased fourfold in the first two months of 2026 compared to the same period last year.

"Work continues on developing tourist routes, including rail service between Vladivostok and Rajin. In 2025, four trips were made, carrying 286 tourists, while six trips are already planned for 2026," it noted.

The ministry praised as "an important achievement" the launch of a direct regular flight between the capitals of the two states, which began operating in July 2025.

As part of aviation cooperation, issues regarding the training and retraining of North Korean civil aviation specialists in Russian educational institutions are being discussed, it said.

The ministers also signed an agreement on the mutual recognition of seafarers' diplomas, which will allow the unification of requirements for the education and training of seafarers, it said.