Russian President to Visit North Korea and Vietnam

‘We expect good results from the visit,’ said Sergei Narishkin, head of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin will pay an official visit to North Korea. He will later travel to Vietnam.

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The visit to North Korea arose from an invitation from President Kim Jong-un, who held a meeting with Putin in the Russian Far East in September 2023.

“We expect good results from the visit of the Russian President to North Korea. The visit is well prepared,” said Sergei Narishkin, head of the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), addint that the Kremlin has defended “the right to develop friendly relations” with its neighboring countries.

“It should not worry anyone nor can it be questioned. We will continue to do so in an increasing manner. The potential for the development of our bilateral relations is very deep,” he stressed.

The first and last time that Putin traveled as president to North Korea was in July 2000, when Kim Jong-il, father of the current leader who died in 2011, was in power. The Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu had a great reception when he visited that Asian country in July 2023.

In the last year, both countries have strengthened their cooperation, especially in the defense sector. This rapprochement accelerated after the summit that Putin and the North Korean leader held in the Russian Far East in September 2023.

On Thursday, after his visit to North Korea, Putin will travel to Vietnam where he will be received by the Communist Party Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, the most powerful man in the country. Since his inauguration in May for a fifth presidential term, Putin has traveled to China, Belarus and Uzbekistan.

Source: EFE – Xinhua

teleSUR/ JF