RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putinmet with North Korea’s Foreign Minister and thanked Pyongyang for supporting his war against Ukraine,inthe latest high-level diplomacy between the countries, Russian state media reported. The visit by North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui comes without an obvious occasion,such as a multi lateral diplomatic event or state anniversary, and has raised speculation that she may be coordinating a possible visit to Russia by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. North Korean state media said Choe departed for Russia on Saturday at the invitation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov but hasyet to comment on the purpose of her visit.

 

Yoon MinHo, spokes person for South Korea’s Unification Ministry, which handles affairs related to North Korea, said Monday that Seoul was closely monitoring the meetings but declined to assess whether Moscow and Pyongyang were discussing another summit between their leaders. Putin praised the countries’ bilateral relations and reiterated his“gratitude to the North Korean leadership and people”for supporting his military operations against Ukraine.Choe told Putin that Kimremains committed to the “comprehensive development” of relations with Russia, news agency said