Russian President Vladimir Putin on September 13 personally welcomed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Amur Far East Region.

Putin arrived in Vostochny earlier on September 13, after two days of work at the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Vladivostok. Meanwhile, the North Korean leader arrived at the venue for the Russia-North Korea summit in his heavily armored train after entering Russian territory on the morning of September 12.

“I am very happy to meet you,” Putin told his guest, noting that the meeting was particularly symbolic as 2023 marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of Russia-North Korea diplomatic relations.

For his part, the North Korean leader thanked Mr. Putin for the invitation and “very warm welcome.”

Commenting on the agenda of the Russia-North Korea Summit, Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that the upcoming talks will focus on a number of “sensitive issues,” bilateral economic and cultural cooperation, as well as the general situation in the region.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visit key facilities at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia's Far East Amur Region, September 13, 2023. Source: Sputnik

Kim Jong Un is visiting Russia amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, which has seen regular missile launches by Pyongyang and military exercises involving South Korean and U.S. forces. On September 13, just before Kim met Putin, Seoul accused Pyongyang of another missile launch.

According to Sputnik, President Putin and Mr. Kim Jong Un inspected a number of key facilities at the Vostochny spaceport, including the launch site of the Soyuz-2 space rocket complex.

When asked about cooperation with North Korea in the space sector, Mr. Putin stressed that this was the reason they came to the Vostochny cosmodrome.

“The North Korean leadership is interested in building missiles, they are also trying to develop space technology,” Putin said.

The Russian president was also asked whether military and technological cooperation would be discussed during his talks with the North Korean leader. He replied: “We will discuss all issues in detail. There is still plenty of time . ”

Minh Duc (According to RT, Sputnik)