North Korea is willing to work with Russia to protect the few remaining Siberian tigers in Northeast Asia, Pyongyang’s ambassador to Moscow said Monday, while blaming Japanese colonial rule and the Korean War for wiping out the animals on the Korean Peninsula.

Sin Hong-chol made the remarks during Tiger Forum 2022, part of the ongoing East Economic Forum that he is attending in Vladivostok, and as Pyongyang and Moscow have sought to increase cooperation since the start of the war in Ukraine.

“Tigers have historically been the symbol of the Korean nation,” Sin said near the start of the conference.