North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su Yong completed a 10-day visit to Russia on Saturday in an effort to strengthen ties and further develop bilateral economic cooperation.

Ri has been in Russia since late September and met with a number of officials in Moscow and Russia’s far eastern regions, including his Russian counterpart.

“All the negotiations were successful, especially with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov,” Ri told ITAR-TASS upon his arrival at Pyongyang’s Sunan Airport on Saturday.

Apart from Lavrov, Ri had meetings with Russia’s minister for agriculture Nikolai Fyodorov, deputy prime minister and presidential envoy for the Far Eastern Region Yuri Trutnev and the governors of the far eastern regions of Khabarovsk and Amur.

While the purpose of the visit was to discuss potential cooperation and investment opportunities “in various fields,” there was an apparent focus on the agricultural sector.

The highlight involved Ri and Fyodorov overseeing the signing of a Memorandum Of Understanding between the two country’s ministries for agriculture on October 3. NK News contacted Russian authorities for further details on the MOU but have not as yet received a response.

On the same day, Russia transferred more than 20,000 tons of humanitarian food aid – in the form of wheat – to the North Korean port of Nampo. The aid is part of a larger package of 50,000 tons expected to be delivered before the end of 2014.

Ri and Khabarovsk Governor Byacheslav Shport told Russian media following their meeting that North Korea and the region of Khabarovsk are aiming to develop long-term bilateral agricultural projects as well.

According to Russian news agency Ria Novosti, Ri also revealed that funding for such projects could originate from Qatar in the form of a loan agreement.

While current North Korean investments in the far eastern regions are extremely limited – and eclipsed by South Korea’s – Ri’s visit is consistent with a renewed effort by North Korea to stimulate economic cooperation with Russia in 2014, in which steady progress is being made.

Since January Russia has forgiven 90 percent of North Korea’s debt, signed an economic cooperation protocol agreement and adopted investment measures, while North Korea has opened a Russian-funded transshipment terminal in the northeastern port of Rajin, originally planned under Kim Jong Il.

North Korea and Russia also celebrated the 66th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries on Sunday.

Featured Image: KCNA