North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he had “candid and meaningful” talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on possibilities to promote peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the region.
Kim said at the start of his dinner banquet with Putin in Vladivostok before making a toast: “The people of the two countries who share a valuable friendship that was created and strengthened while overcoming every hardship and challenge thrown to us by history have a deep understanding that the ceaseless development of North Korea-Russia ties not only serves our mutual interests but is also indispensable for securing the region’s peace and stability,” as AP quoted.
The AP also quoted him as saying the people of North Korea “always have affectionate and brotherly emotions about the people of Russia and feel pride that a great country like Russia is a close neighbor.”
Meanwhile, a top Russian security official is holding talks in South Korea, tackling topics around international terrorism and drug trafficking, while meeting between the Russian resident with the North Korean leader is underway.
According to sources, Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of the Russian Security Council, arrived in Seoul on Thursday for talks with top South Korean security officials. The Security Council said in a statement that Patrushev would discuss ties with South Korea as well as international terrorism and drug trafficking.
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[Earlier: ‘Kim of NKorea Arrives in Russia’]
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has arrived in the far eastern region of Russia meeting with Vladimir Putin, marking the first ever face-to-face talks between the two Cold War allies.
Kim says it is the initial step toward closer ties with Moscow.
Wearing a black fedora and black overcoat, a smiling Kim Jong-un, North Korea’s leader, stepped off an armored train that had taken him on a daylong journey from Pyongyang to the Russian port city of Vladivostok on Wednesday, The New York Times reported.
During an earlier stop in the border city of Khasan, Kim said this “will not be the last” trip to Russia, adding it is the first step toward improved Russia-North Korea relations, according to a readout issued by local Russian authorities.
· Putin and Kim Jung Un to Meet in Russia
At the Thursday summit, Kim is expected to push Putin for economic aid — specifically relief from international sanctions that remain in place after nuclear talks with the United States broke down, VOA reported.
The meeting comes days after the Kremlin made an announcement that Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will meet in Russia later this month.
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