By Euronews Journey with AP
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Russia on Sunday opened an everyday air hyperlink between Moscow and Pyongyang, a transfer reflecting more and more shut ties between the 2 international locations.
The primary flight operated by Russian provider Nordwind took off from Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport on Sunday, carrying over 400 passengers, and landed in North Korea’s capital round eight hours later.
Tickets for the flight had been priced at 45,000 rubles (round €480), based on Russian state media outlet TASS. It reported that authorities gave Norwind permission to fly to North Korea in July.
The airline used to hold Russians to vacation locations throughout Europe, together with Spain and Germany, till the EU banned Russian carriers from working in its airspace in 2022.
Russia’s Transport Ministry mentioned there might be one flight a month to satisfy demand. It could be the primary common flight between the 2 capital cities because the mid-Nineties, based on Russian aviation blogs and follows the resumption of the 10-day Moscow to Pyongyang rail service in June.
Beforehand, the one direct flight between Russia and North Korea was the service from Vladivostok in Russia’s Far East.
North Korea’s tourism push
Russian Overseas Minister Sergey Lavrov, who visited North Korea’s new Wonsan-Kalma seashore resort earlier this month to satisfy with North Korean chief Kim Jong Un, promised to encourage Russian vacationers to go to the complicated.
The resort, which might accommodate practically 20,000 folks, is on the centre of Kim’s push to spice up tourism to enhance his nation’s troubled financial system.
North Korea has been slowly easing the curbs imposed throughout the pandemic and reopening its borders in phases. However the nation hasn’t mentioned if it should absolutely resume worldwide tourism. Restrictions nonetheless largely ban overseas vacationers from getting into the nation.
Common flights between Russia’s japanese port metropolis of Vladivostok and Pyongyang reopened in 2023 following a break brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
Russia and North Korea have sharply expanded navy and different ties in recent times, with Pyongyang supplying weapons and troops to again Russia’s navy motion in Ukraine.