Moscow: Preparations are under way for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's visit to Russia this year, Russian news reports said Thursday, citing Russia's deputy foreign minister. Speaking to journalists in Moscow, Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko stated that Russia is preparing for Kim's visit to the country. Reports from Russian news agencies TASS and Ria Novosti confirmed the development, although they did not provide specific details regarding the timing of the visit.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is also planning to visit Pyongyang, North Korea's capital, to continue strategic dialogue with North Korea. The news comes amid growing speculation surrounding Kim's potential visit to Russia for the 80th Victory Day anniversary on May 9, which may serve as a reciprocation for Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to North Korea in June last year. During that visit, Putin extended an invitation to Kim for summit talks in Moscow.
Earlier this month, Rudenko traveled to Pyongyang, where he met with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui and Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jong-gyu to discuss arranging "political contacts at the high and top levels," as previously reported by TASS. Furthermore, Russia's Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu also visited Pyongyang last week, meeting with Kim and delivering a message from Putin.
North Korea and Russia have strengthened their ties since Kim and Putin signed a mutual defense treaty during the Russian president's visit to Pyongyang last year. This agreement has elevated bilateral military cooperation, including the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia. If realized, Kim's visit to Russia this year would mark his third such trip, following his visits to Russia's eastern border city of Vladivostok in 2019 and the Vostochny Cosmodrome space center in the Amur region in 2023.