Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov meets N. Korean leader Kim

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (L) shakes hands with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during a meeting. Yonhap-Tass, Russian Foreign Ministry

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov meets N. Korean leader Kim

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said his visit to Pyongyang will mark an opportunity for "substantial results" for implementing agreements reached between their leaders, North Korea's state media said Thursday, the second day of his visit, which involved a meeting with the North's leader.

Lavrov arrived at Pyongyang International Airport on Wednesday at the invitation of North Korea's foreign ministry "amid the enthusiasm of friendship growing higher than ever," the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in an English-language dispatch.

The visit is a follow-up to the rare summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sept. 13, as the two countries move to strengthen military ties amid speculation over their suspected arms deal.

Speaking at a reception Wednesday evening, Lavrov said his visit would serve as a "significant occasion of bringing substantial results" for the implementation of the agreement made at the recent summit, according to the KCNA.

He added that Russia "fully supports" all of North Korea's policies adopted to defend its national interests, calling North Korea a genuine independent state "unfazed by any pressure of the U.S. and the West."

Lavrov also thanked Pyongyang for supporting its "special military operation" in Ukraine, according to a transcript of his speech released by Russia's foreign ministry on its website.

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui expressed expectation that the "comprehensive and constructive relations" between the two countries would be expanded on a higher level during Lavrov's visit.

Lavrov and Choe are expected to discuss ways to bolster bilateral cooperation, including preparations for Putin's possible reciprocal visit to Pyongyang.

In a separate announcement, Russia's foreign ministry said Thursday that Lavrov has met Kim in a meeting that lasted over an hour. It did not provide further details.

North Korea's state media has yet to report on their meeting.

Seoul's foreign ministry urged North Korea and Russia to cooperate toward a path that helps bring "peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula," saying it is "keeping close tabs" on the visit.

"North Korea will never be recognized as a nuclear-weapon state regardless of its actions and assertions, and the sanctions of the international community will only deepen," ministry spokesperson Lim Soo-suk said in a press briefing.

He also stressed that the North's nuclear and missile program is a clear violation of the U.N. Security Council resolutions. (Yonhap)

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