This photo, published by the Korean Central News Agency on Saturday, shows Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev (left) arriving in Pyongyang the previous day. (Yonhap)

North Korea and Russia have signed a protocol on enhancing sports exchanges for next year, the North's state media said Monday, as the two nations continue to bolster cooperation in various fields.

Kim Il-guk, North Korea's minister of physical culture and sports, signed the protocol with Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev in Pyongyang the previous day, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

While details of the protocol were not disclosed, the KCNA said Kim and Degtyarev discussed ways to expand and enhance exchanges and cooperation between the two countries' sports sectors during their talks.

The Russian Embassy in North Korea announced the Russian sports minister's visit in a Facebook post last Friday, stating that the agreement he planned to sign with North Korea would include joint sports events, the nurturing of expert workforces, and sports tourism.

Since signing a "strategic partnership treaty" in June, the two countries have expanded bilateral cooperation in various sectors, including the military, economy, and sports. (Yonhap)