Preparations under way for North Korean leader Kim's visit to Russia this year: Reports

Seoul, March 27 (IANS) Preparations are underway for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's visit to Russia this year, a Russian Minister said on Thursday.

Speaking to journalists in Moscow, Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said Russia is preparing for Kim's visit to the country, Russian news agencies TASS and Ria Novosti reported, though they did not specify the exact timing of the visit.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is also planning to visit Pyongyang, North Korea's capital, to continue strategic dialogue with North Korea, according to the reports.

The news came amid growing speculation about Kim's potential visit to Russia on the occasion of Russia's 80th Victory Day anniversary on May 9, potentially as a reciprocation for Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to North Korea in June last year.

At that time, Putin invited Kim to Moscow for summit talks.

Earlier this month, Rudenko traveled to Pyongyang, where he met North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui and Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jong-gyu and discussed arranging "political contacts at the high and top levels," TASS previously reported.

Last week, Russia's Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu also traveled to Pyongyang and met with Kim, delivering a message from Putin, Yonhap news agency reported, quoting the Russian news agencies TASS and Ria Novosti.

North Korea and Russia have aligned closely since Kim and Putin signed a mutual defence treaty during the Russian President's visit to Pyongyang last year, elevating bilateral military cooperation and resulting in the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia.

If realised, Kim's visit to Russia this year would mark his third such trip following his visit to Russia's eastern border city of Vladivostok in 2019 and the Vostochny Cosmodrome space center in the Amur region in 2023.

Earlier on March 22, the North Korean leader expressed his unwavering support for Russia's war in Ukraine during a meeting with Russian Security Council Secretary Shoigu in Pyongyang.

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