Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit North Korea and Vietnam in a few weeks. Russian media Vedomasti reported this information on Monday (June 10) citing a diplomatic source.
Alexander Matsegora, the Russian ambassador to North Korea, confirmed to Vedomasti that Putin will visit Pyongyang and that preparations are underway. However, Alexander did not tell the purpose and exact date of this visit.
A Russian diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Putin will visit North Korea before going to Vietnam.
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on Putin’s visit while answering questions from reporters on Monday (June 10). He only said that when the time comes, we will give all the details. Last month, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko told reporters that Putin is preparing to visit North Korea.
Since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, North Korean President Kim Jong-un has been trying to improve relations with Russia. Kim traveled to Russia for a meeting with Putin in September last year. It was a rare foreign trip for North Korea’s supreme leader.
Kim Jong Un invited Putin to visit North Korea on that visit. The Russian President also thanked him for such an invitation. Earlier this year, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin expressed his desire to visit Pyongyang soon. However, the date of this visit has not been decided yet.
Putin last visited North Korea in 2000 to meet Kim Jong Il, father of Kim Jong Un. Since the International Criminal Court issued his arrest warrant last year, Putin has not made a state visit to any country other than China, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and a handful of other countries.
Meanwhile, Vietnamese media reported that this year Putin was invited to visit Vietnam by the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the country, Nguyen Phu Trong. Putin last visited this Southeast Asian country in 2017.
Putin has visited China, Belarus and Uzbekistan since taking office for a fifth term as president in early May.
Source: The Moscow Times
SAH
