(Moscow) Russian President Vladimir Putin met the North Korean Foreign Minister in Moscow on Tuesday, a sign of the rapprochement between the two neighboring countries which has accelerated since the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine.
According to the Russian presidency, Choi Son-hee was received by Mr. Putin at the Kremlin.
The two officials discussed the agreements concluded between their two countries, said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov, without detailing what was in question.
The head of Russian diplomacy Sergei Lavrov had previously indicated that the discussions would focus on bilateral cooperation, the situation on the Korean peninsula and the assessment of the implementation of the agreements resulting from the summit between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un in September 2023 in Russia.
North Korea, Washington’s great enemy, has been accused by the United States of delivering arms and ammunition to Russia for its military campaign in Ukraine.
No agreement had been officially signed following the summit between the two leaders in the Russian Far East in September 2023, but speculation was rife about the military and humanitarian aid that Moscow could provide to Pyongyang in exchange of its stocks.
Lavrov thanked Pyongyang on Tuesday for supporting Russia’s assault on Ukraine, as North Korea is one of only two countries in the world, along with Syria, to have recognized Russian annexations of four Ukrainian regions. fall 2022.
The head of North Korean diplomacy Choi Son-hee considered that her visit to Russia constituted “an important moment to take bilateral relations to a new level this year”.
Vladimir Putin has been invited to come to North Korea, but has not indicated at this stage when he plans to go.