Moscow and Pyongyang reportedly discussed bilateral ties and the security of the Korean Peninsula
President Vladimir Putin and North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, January 16, 2024 © Photo: Artem Geodakyan, TASS
Russian President Vladimir Putin has hosted North Korea’s Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui at the Kremlin, following talks between the countries’ top diplomats on boosting bilateral ties and cooperation earlier on Tuesday.
During their meeting, top North Korean and Russian diplomats informed Putin on the results of their discussions, which built upon “agreements that were reached by the heads of state in the Far East recently,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov informed the media on Tuesday.
North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un visited Russia for nearly a week last September, traveling to the country’s Far East by train. He met with President Putin, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and other officials. During his visit, Kim inspected the Vostochny Cosmodrome, looked over military and civilian aviation plants, and was shown Russia’s nuclear-capable aircraft and hypersonic missiles.
This week’s talks touched on cooperation between Russia and North Korea in the fields of culture, trade, science and others, according to Lavrov. The Russian minister also stated that Moscow will continue to stand for lasting peace and stability in Northeast Asia.
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Lavrov stated that “the politics of the US and their regional satellites to create threats to North Korea’s security doesn’t contribute to progressing in a positive direction. We will continue to call for the cessation of any steps that lead to the escalation of tensions.”
Choe’s visit to Russia comes amid resurging political strain on the Korean Peninsula in recent weeks, following joint military exercises conducted by South Korea and the US. North Korea has slammed the drills as a threat to its national security.
