Russia's envoy to North Korea has hinted that two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine may accept North Korean workers to help rebuild infrastructure.

In an interview with the Russian newspaper Izvestia, Ambassador Alexander Matsegora described North Korean workers as highly qualified, hard-working and prepared to labor under harsh conditions.

He said they will be of great help in rebuilding devastated infrastructure and other facilities.

Pyongyang last week recognized the areas effectively controlled by pro-Russian separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states.

The ambassador praised the decision, saying Pyongyang always follows its conscience on the international stage and acts in ways it believes are appropriate.

Enabling North Koreans to work abroad may offer Pyongyang a chance to earn foreign currency to fund its nuclear and missile programs.

A UN Security Council resolution adopted in 2017 obliged all UN member states to send North Korean workers back home by December 2019.