MOSCOW, Russia: North Korea’s Foreign Minister, Choe Son Hui, arrived in Moscow for strategic discussions with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
The Russian Foreign Ministry shared the news, with spokesperson Maria Zakharova posting images of Lavrov welcoming Choe at Moscow’s Yaroslavsky railway station, where they unveiled a commemorative plaque marking North Korean founder Kim Il Sung’s 1949 visit to the USSR.
Reuters reports that Choe’s visit comes just after North Korea’s recent intercontinental ballistic missile test and amid rising tensions around reported North Korean troop presence in Russia’s Kursk region.
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U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently stated that an estimated 10,000 North Korean troops, including 8,000 reportedly stationed in the Kursk region, could soon join Russian forces against Ukraine.
Russia has neither confirmed nor denied this presence directly, but President Vladimir Putin has affirmed Russia’s authority over defence matters under a June treaty signed with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, which includes a mutual defence clause. The meeting between Choe and Lavrov is seen as significant given the ongoing geopolitical complexities involving both countries and their growing alignment.
