Support The Moscow Times!

North Korean Foreign Minister Calls for Stronger Russia Ties on Moscow Visit

Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service

North Korea's foreign minister, on a visit to Moscow, said on Tuesday that the situation on the Korean Peninsula and world events showed that his country and Russia needed to forge stronger ties.

Ri Yong Ho spoke before holding talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the situation around North Korea's nuclear and missile programme and tensions involving Pyongyang, Seoul and Washington.

"The current situation on the Korean peninsula and around your country, and the overall international political situation require our two countries to further strengthen friendly cooperation, to increase our strategic communication and coordination of action between our countries," Ri told reporters.

Ri said he hoped they would find concrete ways to create "a new milestone" this year in their relations.

High ranking North Korean officials have been engaged in a flurry of international diplomacy in recent weeks with the possibility of a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The North Korean leader made a surprise visit to China last month for talks with President Xi Jinping in his first known trip outside the North since he assumed power in 2011.

Ri arrived in Moscow on Monday and held talks with Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev about the options for dialogue between Pyongyang and Seoul, TASS news agency reported.

Meanwhile, Russia's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, said on Tuesday that he had accepted an invitation to visit Pyongyang.

Lavrov added that no decisions had been made on talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

He also said Russia welcomed what he called the gradual normalisation of the situation on the Korean peninsula and supported contact between North Korea and the United States.

Reuters contributed reporting to this article.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more