Isolation brings people together. Russia and North Korea have decided to now walk in lockstep on the sporting field. The two countries concluded a cooperation agreement, signed by Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin and North Korean Deputy Sports Minister O Kwang-hyok. The document initialed this week is intended to be very comprehensive. It provides for the organization of joint seminars dedicated to sport, training modules, and above all courses bringing together athletes from the two countries in disciplines as diverse as rhythmic gymnastics, football, artistic swimming, taekwondo, wrestling, judo and table tennis. Unsurprisingly, Moscow took advantage of this rapprochement with Pyongyang to invite a North Korean delegation to participate in the BRICS Games next June in Kazan, then in the World Friendship Games in September in Moscow and Yekaterinburg.
