Moscow: North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui and Russian President Vladimir Putin have reaffirmed their intention to strengthen bilateral ties, as reported by North Korea's state media. This development comes just ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's planned visit to South Korea this week.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Choe met with Putin in Moscow after departing Pyongyang on Sunday. Her visit to Russia and Belarus coincides with President Trump's expressed desire to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his South Korea visit on October 29-30, in line with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting. During their meeting, Choe and Putin discussed multiple initiatives to enhance North-Russia relations. Putin extended his "warm greeting" to Kim Jong-un through Choe, who also conveyed Kim's best wishes to Putin.
Before meeting with Putin, Choe engaged in talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. A press statement from the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) highlighted "constructive and useful" strategic discussions between the two, focusing on plans for high-level official visits, cooperation in bilateral ties, and diplomatic coordination on major global issues. Both diplomats shared similar views on all matters discussed, with a mutual commitment to accelerating the development of bilateral relations in various fields.
North Korea expressed support for Russia's actions in the Ukraine conflict, while Russia reciprocated by backing North Korea's efforts to maintain its sovereign rights and interests. Russia's foreign ministry stated that Lavrov and Choe criticized the United States and its allies for escalating international tensions, especially concerning the Korean Peninsula. However, the North Korean press release did not mention the U.S.
Choe's visit has sparked speculation regarding the possibility of a surprise meeting between Trump and Kim on the Korean Peninsula. However, Choe's absence from Pyongyang suggests a slim chance of such a meeting occurring, given her pivotal role in U.S.-North Korea diplomacy. During his first term, Trump previously met with Kim three times: in Singapore in June 2018, in Hanoi in February 2019, and briefly in June 2019 at the Panmunjom truce village in the Demilitarized Zone.