Russia plans to increase the number of university spaces reserved for students from North Korea, the head of state-funded cultural diplomacy agency Rossotrudnichestvo said.

Moscow and Pyongyang have deepened political, military and cultural ties since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with a mutual defense pact signed last December.

“There is a growing demand for a higher quota, which is supported by the government. We will announce the expansion [of this quota] shortly,” Rossotrudnichestvo head Yevgeny Primakov told the state-run RIA Novosti news agency.

Russia currently allocates 100 places annually for North Korean students. The concrete number of additional slots has not yet been determined, Primakov said.

“These are talented, motivated students, who tend to return to the DPRK after their studies,” Primakov said, using the abbreviation for North Korea’s full name.

“Many enroll in the Far Eastern Technical University, schools in Kazan and Bauman Moscow State Technical University, focusing on areas such as computer science and materials science,” he added.

Primakov also indicated readiness to offer similar opportunities to Afghan citizens, though admissions for these students are currently “on hold” until Afghanistan’s Taliban leadership makes a “clear decision,” specifically their consent for Afghan youth to study in Russia.