Lavrov Invites Kim to Russia, Voices Moscow’s Readiness to Contribute to Korean Peace

As he invited North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to visit Russia, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov voiced Moscow’s readiness to assist in implementation of the two Koreas’ agreements.

During a meeting in Pyongyang, Lavrov and Kim discussed the situation on the Korean peninsula, as he delivered an invitation by President Vladimir Putin.

“Come to Russia, we will be happy to see you,” Lavrov said, as quoted by the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Putin conveyed warm greetings to Kim Jong-un and expressed support for the initiatives of the North Korean leader on the Korean peninsula, Lavrov added.

“We are interested in peace, stability and prosperity on the Korean peninsula and in Northeast Asia as a whole,” Lavrov stated.

The top Russian diplomat told North Korean leader Kim Jong-un that Vladimir Putin values the declaration signed by Pyongyang and Seoul very highly.

“We and our President have very positively assessed the Panmunjom Declaration, which you and the President of the Republic of Korea signed. We are ready to contribute to its implementation in every possible way, given that it mentions railway projects which should be implemented with Russia’s participation in the long term,” Lavrov said at a meeting with Kim.

The North Korean leader, in turn, conveyed his greetings to his Russian counterpart Putin.

Lavrov is visiting Pyongyang to discuss bilateral issues and the situation on the Korean peninsula. Earlier in the day, he held a meeting with his North Korean counterpart Ri Yong Ho.

Pyongyang has recently been in the center of diplomacy on the Korean Peninsula. Over the past months, Kim held several bilateral talks with his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in. The North Korean leader’s meeting with US President Donald Trump is expected to take place in Singapore on June 12.