During her visit to Russia, North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to discuss strategies for enhancing cooperation on the international stage. The two officials explored various avenues for collaboration amid changing geopolitical dynamics.
The North Korean newspaper Rodong Sinmun reported that on Friday, Choe, who was in Russia to participate in the 4th Eurasian Women’s Forum and the 1st BRICS Women’s Forum in St. Petersburg, met with Lavrov in Moscow on the 17th to discuss a range of issues.
According to the report, their discussions included “a fruitful exchange of views aimed at expanding and developing bilateral relations across various sectors and further strengthening mutual cooperation on the international stage,” consistent with the spirit of the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Relations signed during the North Korea-Russia summit in Pyongyang last June.
Choe departed Pyongyang on the 16th to attend the forums, which took place in St. Petersburg from the 18th to the 20th.
Initial speculation had been that President Vladimir Putin would also attend the event, raising expectations for a potential meeting with Choe. However, no such meeting has been reported. Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, had previously indicated that there were no scheduled plans for contact between the two leaders.
Sergei Shoigu, Secretary of the Russian Security Council, visited Pyongyang and met with Kim Jong Un on the 13th, underscoring the ongoing high-level contacts between North Korea and Russia. Discussions during this meeting may have included military cooperation or Kim’s upcoming visit.
