The defence minister of Russia has arrived in North Korea to’strengthen’ military ties with the ‘friendly’ regime of Kim Jong-Un.
The group arrived in Pyongyang on Tuesday night under the leadership of Sergei Shoigu, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Shoigu is seen in images provided by official media being welcomed at the airport by Kang Sun Nam, the North Korean counterpart.
‘I am certain that today’s talks will assist strengthen cooperation between our defence departments,’ he said during a meeting with ministers.
The Kremlin said the visit will help to enhance relations and mark “an important stage” in the development of their bilateral cooperation when it first announced it yesterday morning.
The Russian ministry posted on Telegram that this visit “will contribute to bolstering Russian-North Korean military ties and will be a crucial step in the development of cooperation between the two countries.”
A member of the Chinese Communist Party’s Politburo named Li Hongzhong was in charge of a group from his country.
The two delegations will be present at the 70th commemoration of “Victory Day” on Thursday in Pyongyang, which, according to official media, would be marked in a “grand manner that will go down in history.”
A military parade in the capital is set to top off North Korea’s extensive anniversaries celebrations, which have been planned in great detail.
Some observers believe that it may increase its weapons testing in the lead-up to the occasion.
Beginning in 2020, North Korea closed its border to all commerce and diplomatic interactions, including those with its two key trading and political partners, China and Russia.