ISTANBUL

In a significant diplomatic move, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called for stronger and "firm" ties between the militaries of his country and Russia.

His appeal was made during a meeting on Thursday with a visiting Russian military delegation led by Vice-Minister of Defense Aleksey Krivoruchko.

Kim "stressed the need for the armies of the two countries, linked by long-standing historical tradition and militant ties, to get united more firmly to dynamically lead the DPRK-Russia relations in the new era and play an important part in defending regional and global peace and international justice," the state media reported on Friday.

DPRK, or Democratic People's Republic of Korea, is the official name of North Korea.

During the meeting, Kim and Krivoruchko highlighted "the importance and necessity of the military cooperation between the two countries for defending mutual security interests."