Russia’s Lavrov arrives in North Korea as cooperation deepens

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in Pyongyang on Wednesday for meetings seen as setting the stage for a visit by President Vladimir Putin, who has stepped up cooperation with politically isolated North Korea.
Lavrov’s two-day visit comes a month after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made a rare trip to Russia, during which he invited Putin to Pyongyang and discussed military cooperation, including over North Korea’s satellite program and the war in Ukraine.
Putin’s foreign minister, who last visited North Korea in 2018, will hold talks with his North Korean counterpart, according to the Interfax news agency.
Russia’s TASS news agency reported that Lavrov may brief the North Koreans on the results of Putin’s visit to China, as well as discussing Putin’s potential visit.
Calling each other “comrade”, Putin and Kim toasted their friendship last month with Russian wine.