Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held talks that lasted more than five hours at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Far Eastern Amur Region on September 13. Putin and Kim held talks with the participation of delegations from both countries, followed by separate talks between the two leaders, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
This is the first Russia-North Korea summit since 2019. South Korea's Chosun Ilbo newspaper noted that Putin - who is notorious for being late - arrived at the Vostochny Cosmodrome 30 minutes early to welcome Kim Jong Un. The two leaders had a 40-second handshake.
Russian President Vladimir Putin greets and shakes hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un outside the Vostochny Cosmodrome, September 13, 2023. Photo: Sputnik
Mr Putin took Mr Kim on a tour of the spaceport while Russian experts explained in detail the latest missile technology, while Mr Kim eagerly asked detailed questions about the missiles, writing them down in his notebook.
Asked about cooperation with North Korea in space, Putin stressed that this was the reason they came to the Vostochny Cosmodrome. He added: “The North Korean leader is very interested in building rockets, they are also trying to develop space technology.”
Mr. Putin took Mr. Kim on a tour of the Vostochny Cosmodrome, which officially opened in 2016. Photo: Sputnik
Commenting on the possibility of military -technical cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang, Mr. Putin stressed that Russia complies with international obligations and takes advantage of cooperation opportunities within the framework of these rules.
“There are certain restrictions. Russia abides by all these restrictions. But of course there are things we can discuss and consider. And there are also prospects here,” Putin told reporters.
After visiting the Vostochny Cosmodrome, the two leaders held talks. The agenda of the talks included issues of economic and humanitarian cooperation, the situation in the region and many other topics, Russian news agency TASS reported.
The two leaders had talks that lasted more than five hours, including talks with the participation of the two countries' delegations, and then private talks. Photo: Sputnik
Mr Putin’s talks with Mr Kim were “very substantive”, Mr Peskov said. The Voice of Korea said the talks “took place in a friendly and constructive atmosphere from start to finish”.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) revealed that after the talks ended and before the banquet began, the North Korean leader and the Russian President exchanged gifts with each other.
And after the banquet, Mr. Kim invited Mr. Putin to visit North Korea “at any convenient time,” and Mr. Putin “accepted the invitation.”
Mr Kim boarded a train leaving Vostochny. Photo: Sky News
Mr Kim Jong Un said he was ready to cooperate with Russian President Putin on a “100-year plan” to build stable relations between the two countries, KCNA said.
According to KCNA, Pyongyang is willing to build “stable and future-oriented DPRK-Russia relations on the basis of promoting the building of a strong state in both countries and supporting genuine international justice.”
The “historic meeting and talks” between Mr Kim and Mr Putin were a “watershed event” that helped strengthen the strategic ties between Russia and North Korea and “inspire a just struggle against imperialism”, KCNA said.
The relationship between the two countries has stood the “test of history from century to century” and is developing “unstoppably and strategically” thanks to the “close friendship and special brotherhood” between Kim Jong Un and Putin, the North Korean news agency concluded.
After the summit at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, Mr. Kim continued his tour of other regions in the Russian Far East. The North Korean leader is expected to visit the cities of Komsomolsk-on-Amur in the Khabarovsk region and Vladivostok in the Primorsky region .
Minh Duc (According to TASS, Sputnik, Chosun Ilbo)
Source
Comment (0)