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Russian President Vladimir Putin meets North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Photo/sputnik
PYONGYANG – North Korean (North Korea) leader Kim Jong-un invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to travel to the DPRK.
The invitation was revealed by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), which is managed by the North Korean government. Pyongyang claims the offer has been accepted.
Kim was received at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia’s Far East region on Wednesday (13/9/2023) when he paid an official visit to the country.
Met by Putin and other top Russian officials at the space launch site, Kim reportedly invited Putin to see North Korea in person after the event.
“At the end of the reception, Kim Jong-un politely invited Putin to visit the DPRK at an appropriate time,” KCNA reported.
KCNA added, “Putin accepted the invitation with pleasure and reiterated his desire to always carry forward the history and traditions of Russia-North Korea friendship.”
However, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, no concrete plans have been made for the visit.
“No, not planned yet. There are no such plans yet. “But I repeat once again that these are our neighbors, it is in our interests to develop relations that are in line with our interests,” he said.
Two rounds of bilateral talks were held at the cosmodrome, including one round involving North Korean and Russian delegations and another face-to-face meeting between Putin and Kim.
“The North Korean leader stressed the importance of the DPRK-Russia traditional and strategic friendship, saying it greatly promotes the just struggle for independence against imperialism,” the KCNA report said.
Apart from Kim, North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui and several other high-ranking officials were invited to the meeting, which was also attended by Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu.
Shoigu had visited North Korea with a Russian delegation in July.
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