As Russia formalizes plans for a high-level delegation to visit North Korea, the close North Korea-Russia relationship is becoming closer following North Korea’s State Affairs Chairman Kim Jong-il’s 10-day, 9-night visit to Russia. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held a press conference at the United Nations headquarters in New York, where the United Nations General Assembly is being held, on the 23rd (local time) and said, “I will visit Pyongyang next month,” adding, “This is in accordance with the agreement between President Vladimir Putin and Chairman Kim.” He said.
As Russia formalizes its high-level visit to North Korea, there is also speculation that it could lead to President Putin’s return visit to Pyongyang in the future. The question is whether Minister Lavrov and North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui will meet in Pyongyang and coordinate the schedule for the summit. Regarding the background of this visit to North Korea, Minister Loveloff’s statement that it was a measure based on an ‘agreement between the leaders of North Korea and Russia’ also lends support to this interpretation. Earlier, on the 14th, North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency announced that President Putin “readily accepted” Chairman Kim’s invitation at a dinner following the North Korea-Russia summit, and the Kremlin also confirmed shortly afterwards that “President Putin gratefully accepted this invitation.” there is. When President Putin visits North Korea, it will be 23 years since he visited Pyongyang in July 2000, after his inauguration as president, and met then-National Defense Chairman Kim Jong-il. This is the first time since Chairman Kim Jong-un took power in late 2011.
The fact that Russia officially announced its plan to visit North Korea on the UN stage can be interpreted as a blatant expression of the intention of the two countries, isolated by various sanctions from the international community, to overcome difficulties through close military ties, including arms trade and various technology transfers.
A high-ranking government official emphasized, “The war is at a lull as landmines have been laid excessively along the Russian-Ukrainian border, making it difficult for both armies to move forward.” He added, “Russia is in a situation where it must receive large-scale weapons support, including artillery shells, from North Korea.” He said, “(From Putin’s point of view) it is urgent to change this lull phase and end the war, so there is a high possibility that he will visit North Korea soon.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.