Seoul, March 27
Preparations are underway for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's visit to Russia this year, a Russian Minister said on Thursday.
Speaking to journalists in Moscow, Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said Russia is preparing for Kim's visit to the country, Russian news agencies TASS and Ria Novosti reported, though they did not specify the exact timing of the visit.
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is also planning to visit Pyongyang, North Korea's capital, to continue strategic dialogue with North Korea, according to the reports.
The news came amid growing speculation about Kim's potential visit to Russia on the occasion of Russia's 80th Victory Day anniversary on May 9, potentially as a reciprocation for Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to North Korea in June last year.
At that time, Putin invited Kim to Moscow for summit talks.
Earlier this month, Rudenko traveled to Pyongyang, where he met North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui and Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jong-gyu and discussed arranging "political contacts at the high and top levels," TASS previously reported.