Russian President Vladimir Putin has begun a two-day state visit to North Korea, where he will meet with the country’s leadership for talks on economic, security, and international issues.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un personally greeted Putin at the Pyongyang airport, for the Russian president’s first visit since 2000.
The trip, which kicked off on Tuesday, will involve a “very busy agenda,” according to Putin’s foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, who noted that the two sides intend to sign several agreements. The Russian president has already authorized the signing of a landmark Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement with North Korea.
Ushakov also said Putin and Kim were expected to hold lengthy face-to-face talks to discuss “the most important, the most sensitive issues.” The visit will be largely focused on the international agenda.
“The approaches of the two countries to current foreign policy problems are very close or completely coincide,” Ushakov said, noting that Moscow and Pyongyang advocate the formation of a multipolar world on the principles of equality, respect for sovereignty, and non-interference in internal affairs. He also said Moscow highly appreciates that North Korea “understands the true reasons and the essence of the Ukraine crisis.”
Putin’s first visit to North Korea since 2000 follows Kim Jong-un’s trip to Russia’s Far East in September. At the time, Kim spent nearly a week in the neighbouring country, touring the Vostochny Cosmodrome, meeting with top officials, and inspecting advanced Russian weaponry. Following the visit, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said relations between Russia and North Korea had reached a “strategic level.”
