North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held talks with Russia's Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu in Pyongyang on Tuesday, Russian news agency Tass reported, as the two countries prepare to mark the first anniversary of their mutual defense treaty.
Kim and Shoigu began their talks in the North Korean capital, the Russian news agency said, citing the press service of the Russian Security Council, shortly after reporting on Shoigu's arrival in Pyongyang.
Shoigu is visiting North Korea on a special mission from Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to Russian media
It marks Shoigu's second visit to North Korea this month, following his previous trip in early June, during which he also met with Kim and discussed security issues involving the Korean Peninsula.
Tass quoted the Russian Security Council as saying that Shoigu's meeting with Kim is part of the agreements reached during his previous visit to North Korea on June 4, adding that it is a follow-up to the mutual defense agreement signed last year between North Korea and Russia.
Shoigu's back-to-back visit to North Korea comes as Pyongyang and Moscow mark the first anniversary of the signing of the treaty on their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in June last year in Pyongyang by Kim and Putin, which resulted in North Korea's deployment of troops on the Russian side in the war against Ukraine.
The approach of the June 19 anniversary has fueled speculation that Kim may visit Russia for a summit with Putin, although no signs of his immediate trip have been reported.
Russia's annual Eastern Economic Forum, scheduled for September in Vladivostok near the border with North Korea, has been speculated as a possible occasion for Kim's trip to Russia and a summit with Putin. (Yonhap)
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