NK leader vows to build 'forward

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, left, shakes hands with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during their meeting in Pyongyang, Oct. 19, in this photo carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency the following day. Yonhap

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has vowed to build a "forward-looking" relationship with Russia during his meeting with its foreign minister, state media said Friday, as the two countries move to strengthen military ties amid speculation over their suspected arms deal.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made a two-day visit to Pyongyang on Wednesday in a follow-up to the Sept. 13 summit between the North Korean leader and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia's Far East.

In the meeting with Lavrov, Kim vowed to "faithfully" carry out the agreements at the summit, expressing Pyongyang's "steadfast stand" to establish a "stable, forward-looking, far-reaching plan" for the bilateral ties, according to the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

They discussed "important matters of mutual concern" to better cope with external circumstances on the "basis of solid political and strategic trust relations" and expand their bilateral ties in "all fields," the KCNA said.

But it did not specify whether Kim and Lavrov discussed the schedule for Putin's possible reciprocal visit to Pyongyang. The Kremlin earlier said Putin had accepted Kim's offer to visit North Korea during their summit last month.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, second from right, holds talks with Russian officials, including Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, second from left, in Pyongyang, Oct. 19, in this photo carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency the following day. Yonhap

Speaking to reporters on his visit to the North, Lavrov was quoted as saying that high-level bilateral contact will likely continue going forward, a transcript shared on the website of Russia's foreign ministry showed, raising the possibility of Putin's visit.

Russian media reported the previous day that talks between Kim and Lavrov lasted for over an hour, and Lavrov invited his Russian counterpart, Choe Son-hui, to visit Moscow at a "convenient time."

The visit came amid persistent speculation over the suspected arms deal between North Korea and Russia, reinforced by reports on Pyongyang's delivery of military equipment and munitions to Russia in recent weeks for its use in the war with Ukraine.

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In a separate statement, the KCNA said the foreign ministers of North Korea and Russia discussed ways to put their ties on a "higher stage as required by the new era" and signed a plan for bilateral exchanges in 2024-25.

The top diplomats discussed developing bilateral exchanges and cooperation in "all fields," including the economy, advanced science and technology, it said, amid speculation that Pyongyang could seek to obtain military technology from Russia in return for a supply of arms.

In a sign of solidarity, Lavrov was quoted as expressing his "full support" for the North and its people to "defend the national sovereignty and development and interests," according to the KCNA and Russia's foreign ministry.

Lavrov also said the DPRK is a "genuine independent and sovereign state" that remains "unfazed by any pressure of the U.S. and the West," referring to the country by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"It seems to have granted the legitimacy and legality for North Korea's strategic weapons development through diplomatic support," said Hong Min, a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, meets with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Pyongyang, Oct. 19, in this photo provided by the North's Korean Central News Agency. Yonhap

Russia appears to have displayed its solidarity with North Korea against the United States, as Seoul, Washington and Tokyo are bolstering security cooperation against the North's military threats.

Condemning their cooperation as not constructive and dangerous, Lavrov said Russia and North Korea are committed to easing regional tension and voiced support for what he called a regular negotiation process on security issues on the Korean Peninsula, without preconditions.

Analysts said he may indicate that negotiations with North Korea need to start while recognizing the North's possession of nuclear weapons, rather than seeking denuclearization talks.

Seoul's unification ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, reiterated its stance on resuming dialogue with the North without preconditions while making it clear this is irrelevant to the process Lavrov mentioned.

The ministry said it will sternly respond to any illicit cooperation of weapons and military technology between the two countries through cooperation with the U.S., Japan and the international community.

"We hope North Korea chooses the right path so that Russia-North Korea cooperation proceeds in a direction that can actually improve the livelihoods of North Korean residents," Kim In-ae, deputy ministry spokesperson, said in a regular press briefing. (Yonhap)