Russian transport authorities have been tasked with signing a civil aviation safety agreement with their North Korean counterparts, an order posted on the official Russian government website showed last Friday.

Though no Russian airlines currently fly to North Korea, the DPRK state airline Air Koryo normally maintains twice-weekly service between Pyongyang and Vladivostok. The service has been suspended since North Korea implemented COVID-19 restrictions in Jan. 2020, however, with the exception of one relief flight in March 2020.

Nevertheless, the June 18order calls for Russia’s Ministry of Transport to negotiate with the North Korean side to conclude an agreement