Kremlin invites Kim Jong-un to Russia
The press secretary of the Russian president, Dmitry Peskov confirmed that North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un received an invitation to visit Russia, reports Interfax.
“Russian officials have invited the North Korean leader to visit Russia. The dates and place will be agreed via diplomatic channels, "- said Kremlin’s representative.
Earlier, the Russian newspaper Izvestia, citing an informed diplomatic source in South Korea, reported that the North Korean leader is likely to visit Russia. “This will happen at the end of October or at the beginning of November, however, before the U.S. Congress elections, which are scheduled for November 6. Among the potential meeting places, officials are considering Moscow and Vladivostok, “said the source.
The DPRK embassy said that exact information about the Kim Jong-un’s visit to Russia is currently not available and the time of the visit has not been confirmed yet. The representative office stressed that the date of the trip will depend "on the decision of the two leaders." The Foreign Ministry of Russia and North Korea refused to comment on this visit.
Information about the likely meeting between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un first appeared at the end of May. Then, during a visit to North Korea, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov invited the DPRK leader to come to Russia. Diplomatic sources said that meeting in Vladivostok during the Eastern Economic Forum is a likely option for this visit.
By August, the Russian president again expressed his readiness to hold a personal conversation with Kim Jong-un in a congratulatory telegram sent for the occasion of the 73rd anniversary of the peninsula’s liberation. “I confirm that I’m ready to meet with you soon to discuss bilateral issues and regional problems,” quoted the message North Korean TSTAK agency.
In September, the Federation Council speaker, Valentina Matviyenko, announced about the possible Kim Jong-un’s visit to Russia. According to her, the time of the North Korean leader’s arrival depends on Putin’s schedule: “He intends to respond to the president’s invitation and in the near future, without a delay and depending on the Vladimir Vladimirovich’s schedule, he is ready to visit Russia,” she said.
Previous North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-il visited Russia three times. His last visit was in 2011.