On January 15, North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui departed for an official visit to Russia at the invitation of his host counterpart Sergei Lavrov.
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| Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (left) talks with his North Korean counterpart Choe Son-hui in Pyongyang in October 2023. (Source: Yonhap) |
Yonhap quoted the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) as saying that Foreign Minister Choe is expected to visit Russia from January 15-17 at the invitation of Mr. Lavrov. The North Korean delegation led by Ms. Choe arrived at the airport on January 14.
Ms Choe's visit appears to be a reciprocal trip following Mr Lavrov's visit to Pyongyang in October 2023.
The trip comes amid deepening Russia-North Korea cooperation and suspicions from the US and its allies that Moscow and Pyongyang may have struck a deal on arms transfers.
Last week, the US and 47 other countries issued a joint statement opposing North Korea's supply of missiles to Russia and Moscow's use of these weapons in the conflict in Ukraine, according to Western accusations.
However, so far, Russia and North Korea have denied any arms deal, as well as any Western accusations related to this issue.
In a related development, on January 14, a US State Department spokesperson stated: "Increased Russia-North Korea cooperation is a trend that should be noted by anyone interested in maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, maintaining the global nuclear non-proliferation regime, and supporting Ukraine in defending its freedom and independence."
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