North Korean leader Kim Jong-un gave Russian President Vladimir Putin a hug when the two met at the airport in North Korea’s capital, Pyongyang. Today the reception was even more magnificent. Huge banner with a picture of a smiling Putin and the text “We warmly welcome President Putin!” were hung from lampposts all over Pyongyang. The cortege with the Russian president was met by people with flags and balloons lining the route to the state guest house where the talks will take place. The President of Russia visits Pyongyang. – Russia thanks Pyongyang for all its support for Russian policy, said the Russian president. Putin further said that a new document will lay the foundation for future ties between Russia and North Korea. It is 24 years since the Russian president was in North Korea last, but he and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un met each other in Russia last year. War support from North Korea The Russian news agency Ria writes that the main part of the program will take place on Wednesday. During the visit, it is expected that Putin will sign a new partnership agreement with the North Koreans. The details are not yet known, but it concerns cooperation on the economy and security, according to an adviser to Putin. North Korea and Russia may also sign agreements on cooperation in medicine and communications, writes the state-controlled Russian news agency Tass. President Kim said that the visit is the start of new growth for the two countries. Photo: Reuters Putin will also attend a gala concert and lay a wreath at the memorial monument for Soviet soldiers who fell in Korea during the Second World War. In a letter published in the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, Rodong Sinmun, and which was shared on the Kremlin’s website, Putin thanks North Korea for its support in the war in Ukraine. – We greatly appreciated North Korea’s support for Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, their solidarity when it comes to several important international matters and their willingness to defend our common priorities and point of view in the UN, writes Putin. Many children lined up to greet the two presidents. Photo: Vladimir Smirnov / AP He says Russia and North Korea over the past 70 years have developed a good relationship and partnership based on equality, and mutual respect and trust. Several million artillery shells It is expected that Russia will receive ammunition from North Korea and that North Korean guest workers will be allowed to come to Russia. There is a large shortage of labour, not least in the defense industry. In return, it is expected that Russia will contribute technology and development in impoverished North Korea. Economic cooperation with Russia can improve the situation for the isolated country. Presidents Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin also met in Russia in September 2023. Photo: Vladimir Smirnov / AP Russia has already received large arms deliveries from North Korea, according to South Korea’s intelligence. They believe the neighbor to the north has sent around 5 million artillery shells and several ballistic missiles to Russia since September last year. North Korean authorities have called the claim “absurd”. But the South Koreans point to the fact that, among other things, wreckage from North Korean rockets has been found on the battlefield in Ukraine. Closer ties The UN has also blamed North Korea for supplying Russia with weapons used in Ukraine, including long-range rockets, something both Russia and North Korea deny. On Tuesday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was in the United States, where he, among other things, visited US President Joe Biden. During the visit, Stoltenberg said that NATO is concerned about the support that Russia gives to North Korea’s missile and nuclear program. North Korea is already receiving long-awaited diplomatic support from Russia. In March, Russia vetoed the UN resolution to renew the mandate of an expert panel that ensures that member states maintain sanctions against North Korea. A still image from a video shared by the North Korean broadcaster KRT in 2017 is supposed to show a military exercise in Wonsan in the east of North Korea. Photo: KRT / AP Moscow and Pyongyang have been allies since the Second World War. Since the great invasion of Ukraine, the relationship between the two has become closer as Russia has become more isolated from western countries. Both countries are also subject to economic sanctions. Unrest at the border Several confrontations between soldiers on the border between North and South Korea testify to the tensions in the region at the moment. The Russian visit takes place on the same day that North Korean soldiers crossed the border and entered the demilitarized zone towards South Korea. It is the second time in two weeks this has happened. Early today, several of the North Koreans are said to have been injured by landmines when they retreated back into their homeland. Putin’s visit to North Korea will last two days. After that he goes on to Vietnam. Correction: news quoted Sky News at 9.47 that Putin had landed in North Korea. It’s wrong. The right thing was for him to stop over in Russia. Published 18.06.2024, at 09.50 Updated 19.06.2024, at 07.32
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Putin visits North Korea – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
