Putin lands in North Korea for his first state visit since 2000

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June 18 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, landed this Tuesday in the capital of North Korea, Pyongyang, to carry out what is his first state visit so far this century and in which he plans to meet with the supreme leader North Korean, Kim Jong Un, in order to strengthen a relationship that has gone from strength to strength in recent years.

Upon his arrival in the North Korean capital, Putin was already received at the airport by Kim himself in gratitude for this trip at the highest diplomatic level. However, it is not expected to be until Wednesday when the visit enters into its most substantial part, according to the Russian news agency TASS.

The Russian president will be in North Korea for two days, and the authorities of both countries have estimated that during this period the leaders will share their time for up to nine hours in different events. The signing of several joint documents is also planned, as well as other types of ceremonies and tributes.

At the end of his state visit to North Korea, Putin will head to Vietnam, where he will hold a series of meetings with the general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, Nguyen Phu Trong; the country’s president, To Lam; and the Prime Minister, Pham Minh Tinh, among other local leaders.

Last week, the Russian authorities vindicated their right to improve their relations with Pyongyang in the face of increasing warnings within the international community, which view with fear the increase in contacts between both countries, especially in military matters.

Kim has recently praised his “invincible” relationship with the Russian government and described his counterpart as a “comrade in arms.” In this sense, he recalled that his meeting with Putin in Russia last year has taken ties between the two countries to a “higher level.”

The North Korean president traveled to Russia last September and visited the Vostochny cosmodrome, where Putin promised to help him in the construction of satellites. Both leaders then agreed to hold new contacts progressively.

Pyongyang and Moscow have gradually increased their diplomatic and security relations, especially as tensions rise on the Korean Peninsula and in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.