North Korean youth crossing borders for World Youth Festival in Russia

The departure of the delegation was reported on Tuesday by Pyongyang's state media. This information was also accompanied by promises of a desire to strengthen cooperation between the two nations.

The Russian agency, RIA Novosti, has a keen interest in the guests from North Korea, emphasizing the significance of the event. The delegation, led by Moon Chul, will also deliberate on fostering relations between the youth organizations of both countries.

The World Youth Festival is scheduled to take place from Friday until March 7 at the Sirius federal territory, located near the city of Sochi. Only a few years ago, Sirius welcomed vast crowds of students from around the globe. However, the event's international nature has greatly diminished in recent times.

Since Vladimir Putin's aggression towards Ukraine, the event has lost its international appeal. Sanctions imposed by the West mean that no delegations from countries that disagree with Moscow's stance on its neighbor will be attending the event in Russia.

Last year, Putin signed a decree concerning this matter. According to the decree, Sergey Kiriyenko, the first deputy head of the President's Administration who is also responsible for integrating the occupied territories of Ukraine into Russia, chairs the festival's organizing committee.

The World Youth and Student Festival was last held in 2017 in Moscow and Sochi. The event's slogan was: "For peace, solidarity, and social justice. We oppose imperialism - honoring our past, we construct our future!"

Source: Yonhap News Agency