Seoul – Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe has congratulated North Korea on its rocket launch and expressed hopes for even warmer ties, Pyongyang’s official news agency said on Tuesday. It said Mugabe made the comments on Monday during a meeting with the North’s visiting de facto head of state Kim Yong-Nam.
"Congratulating the DPRK (North Korea) on its achievements includingthe successful satellite launch, he said that these are givingconfidence and courage to the Zimbabweans," the Korean Central NewsAgency reported. The North says it put a satellite into orbit on April5, while other nations say it was a disguised ballistic missile test.The United Nations condemned the launch and tightened existing sanctions, prompting the North to quit nuclear disarmament talks. "At the talks Mugabe said that he boundlessly reveres President Kim Il-Sungwho rendered full support and encouragement to the Zimbabwean people’s struggle for national liberation and their building of a new society,"the agency reported. The North’s founding president Kim Il-Sung in 1981sent troops to train a Zimbabwean army 5th. brigade which was accused of widespread atrocities against Mugabe’s opponents in Matabeleland. The two sides discussed improving "long-standing relations of friendship and co-operation," the North’s official agency reported. At a banquetin the Koreans’ honour, Kim expressed opposition to all sanctions against Zimbabwe, it said.