Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui attend a ceremony unveiling a memorial plaque dedicated to Kim Il-sung's visit to the USSR in 1949, at Moscow's Yaroslavsky railway station, in this handout picture taken and released by the Russian Foreign Ministry, Nov. 1. AFP-Yonhap

North Korea and Russia have accused the United States and its allies for being the "root cause" of escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula and beyond, reaffirming their commitment to implementing the new bilateral treaty, the North's state media reported Saturday.

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov shared the views during their "strategic dialogue" held in Moscow on Friday (local time), a press statement released by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

Choe has been on a trip to Russia since Monday. Her visit came at a time when tensions have heightened with the North's deployment of thousands of its troops to Russia for use in the war against Ukraine.

Choe's trip also coincided with the North's launch of the Hwasong-19 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Thursday, its first such test launch that came just days ahead of the U.S. presidential election.

"The two sides expressed the common understanding that the root cause of ever-escalating tensions in the Korean peninsula, Northeast Asia and other parts of the world lies in the provocations of the U.S. and its vassal countries," the statement read.

"The exchange of views on major international issues confirmed that the two sides are unanimous in their assessment of the present international situation," it said.

The U.S. has said about 10,000 North Korean soldiers are in Russia, with 8,000 of them sent to the front lines near Ukraine expected to join the combat soon.

There was no mention about the North's troop dispatch in the statement.

North Korea has forged stronger ties with Russia, claiming to have elevated their relations with a new treaty that comes with a provision committing to mutual military assistance in the event of an attack on either side.

At the dialogue, Lavrov expressed Russia's "full support" for the measures North Korea has taken to deter the "aggressive policy" of the U.S. and its allies, the KCNA said, apparently meaning its support for the North's latest ICBM launch.

Choe and Lavrov also had in-depth discussions on "practical issues" to enhance their ties further, including implementing the agreements from the treaty, signed between the North's leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin at their June summit.

The dialogue marked an "important occasion" in the development of their bilateral relations in line with the new partnership treaty, it added.

Ahead of the talks, Choe attended a ceremony at Yaroslavl Railway Station in northeast Moscow for the unveiling of a plaque to honor the first visit to Russia by North Korea's founder, Kim Il-sung in 1949.

In a speech at the ceremony, Choe stressed the strategic value of her country's relations with Russia holds greater importance in the grave international political situation, the KCNA reported.

"The strategic value and significance of the DPRK-Russia relations are given greater importance in the severe international political landscape," Choe said, referring to the North by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"The great friendship and unity" built between North Korea and Russia to attain the common objective "would be firmly carried forward and developed along with the new era of overall efflorescence," she said.

Before flying to Moscow, Choe visited the Russian city of Vladivostok in the Far East, a location where South Korea and Western nations believe the North Korean soldiers are undergoing adaptation training for possible deployment to the war front lines in Ukraine. (Yonhap)