Senior law enforcement officials from North Korea and Russia met in Pyongyang on April 21 to discuss expanded cooperation on public security, signing a 2026–2027 roadmap for ministerial exchanges. Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev and North Korean Public Security Minister Pang Tu-sop exchanged experiences on policing and agreed to share intelligence on drug trafficking cases, with Kolokoltsev also extending an invitation for Pang to visit Moscow. The meeting reflects the two countries' broadening alignment — which already includes North Korea's deployment of troops to support Russia's war in Ukraine — and follows plans to open a road bridge over the Tumen River (the river forming much of the North Korea–Russia border) in June, a development that is expected to increase cross-border movement and associated security concerns.