North Korean foreign minister to visit Russia next week
Russian authorities have announced that North Korea’s Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho is to visit Moscow amid efforts to ease tensions over Pyongyang’s nuclear and weapons program.
Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, said on Wednesday that Ri will meet his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on April 10.
Zakharova said the focus of talks between the two foreign ministers would be the situation on the Korean peninsula while they will also discuss bilateral ties and opinions on key international and regional issues.
Russian authorities had earlier indicated that they were planning meetings in Moscow about the North Korean issue, but there had been no specific details. The Russian embassy in Pyongyang had on Tuesday announced the news of Ri’s imminent visit to Moscow.
The ministerial meeting comes amid multilateral efforts to ease concerns about the North Korea’s nuclear and missile program. Pyongyang announced after sending a delegation of athletes to neighboring South Korea for the Winter Olympics that it would be ready to engage in talks with both the South and the United States.
North Korea leader Kim Jong-un then made a surprise visit to China and met Chinese President Xi Jinping, in a sign that Pyongyang was coordinating its stances with its main trade and military ally before encounters with traditional adversaries.
Russia has also been a vital lifeline for the North during years of US-led pressure on the country. There was no confirmation from North Korea about Ri’s trip to Moscow. Ri, the foreign minister, who is currently in China, would be the most senior North Korean official to visit Russia in recent years.
Authorities have announced that Kim will meet South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Apr 27 before meeting US President Donald Trump, although the date and location of the highly-anticipated meeting is yet unknown.
The renewed stand-off over North Korea began last July when Pyongyang tested two intercontinental ballistic missiles which experts said could reach the mainland US. The North also carried out its largest nuclear test in August, prompting the United Nations to impose more economic sanctions on the country.
Russia's Putin to visit China on President Xi's invitation
Russia: 1,400 Ukrainian soldiers killed in Donetsk, Luhansk in 24 hours
Putin replaces defense minister Shoigu in major shakeup
Israel removal from our land inevitable: Haniyeh on Nakba anniv.
VIDEO | Gazans search rubble for survivors after Israeli strikes on Jabalia
VIDEO | Nakba Day anniversary
VIDEO | Interview with Sandrew Hira
Hezbollah retaliates heavily against Israel after cmdr. assassination
VIDEO | Victims of 2017 Zahedan terrorist attack say US sponsors terrorism in region
VIDEO | Palestinians mark anniversary of Nakba in shadow of Gaza war
Hamas marks Nakba Day, says Israel failed to achieve goals in Gaza
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
