Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Pyongyang on the 18th, according to a report by Korean Central TV on the 19th. At Pyongyang International Airport, North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui welcomed Minister Lavrov and his delegation, with many citizens also present to express their greetings. [Korean Central TV footage] [Image source=Yonhap News]
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on the 19th (local time) that Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister visiting North Korea, met with Chairman Kim Jong-un and held a conversation for over an hour. This meeting has drawn attention as it is possible that the issue of Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to North Korea was discussed.
According to TASS news agency, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the meeting between Chairman Kim and Minister Lavrov but did not disclose detailed information.
However, since Chairman Kim requested President Putin to visit North Korea after their summit in the Russian Far East region on the 13th of last month, and President Putin accepted the request, there is speculation that the issue of the reciprocal visit was addressed.
Minister Lavrov also reinforced this possibility during a press conference on the same day, stating, "A high-level contact (summit) took place a month ago, and today there was a high-level contact (foreign ministers' meeting). I am confident that such contacts will continue."
President Putin has not visited North Korea since meeting Kim Jong-il, Chairman Kim Jong-un's father and former National Defense Commission Chairman, in Pyongyang in July 2000.
Earlier, Chairman Kim departed Pyongyang on the afternoon of the 10th of last month and held a summit with President Putin at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Amur Oblast, Russia, on the 13th. Following that, he toured facilities such as a fighter jet manufacturing plant and completed an eight-night, nine-day visit to Russia.
The international community has been closely watching the possibility that President Putin and Chairman Kim discussed arms deals during last month's summit. The U.S. White House recently announced that North Korea provided Russia with military equipment and ammunition equivalent to more than 1,000 containers.
Russia denied this, but after completing the Belt and Road Forum held in China the day before, Minister Lavrov arrived in North Korea and expressed gratitude at a banquet hosted by North Korea for its support of Russia's "special military operation" in Ukraine.
Minister Lavrov concluded his two-day visit to North Korea by visiting the Russian Embassy in North Korea, laying flowers at the memorial for former Ambassador Andrei Karlov, and holding a meeting with embassy staff. Former Ambassador Karlov served as the Russian ambassador to North Korea from 2001 to 2006 and was killed by an Islamist extremist's gunfire in T?rkiye in 2016.
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