Moscow—In a significant gesture of bilateral cooperation, Russia has dispatched 447 goats to North Korea, intended to bolster dairy production amid the latter's ongoing food security challenges. The shipment was facilitated by Russia's agriculture safety watchdog, Rosselkhoznadzor, after ensuring that the livestock met all necessary veterinary and sanitary standards.
According to Yonhap News Agency, this initial delivery of live animals includes 432 female and 15 male goats, which were sent from Russia's Leningrad region to Rason, a key border city in North Korea. The collaboration between Pyongyang and Moscow has intensified following a summit last year between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The primary aim of this shipment is to support North Korean efforts to provide dairy products to children, addressing the chronic food shortages in the country. North Korea's state media also reported that new goat farms have been established in Nampho to increase the supply of dairy products locally. These efforts align with a directive from a 2021 party meeting where Kim emphasized the importance of state-supported nutritional programs for children.