North Korea’s top farming experts discussed boosting domestic harvests with leading Russian agricultural research hubs during a weekslong visit to Russia through Friday, a trip that reflected the deepening food security links between the two countries.

Led by Kim Kwang Uk, president of the DPRK Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the North Korean delegation visited Russia from Nov. 21 to Dec. 5, touring research institutions in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Siberia to obtain Russian farming know-how to improve domestic farming practices.