Russian Duma Speaker meets North Korean leader in Pyongyang

Moscow: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met the visiting Speaker of Russia’s lower house in Pyongyang, a media report said Sunday.

Kim met Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, who visited the country to attend the opening ceremony of a memorial museum honouring North Korean soldiers killed while fighting for Russia in its war with Ukraine, according to Russia’s Tass news agency.

During the meeting, Volodin conveyed President Vladimir Putin’s greetings and best wishes, as well as congratulations on Kim’s reelection as Chairman of the State Affairs Directorate.

“It is a great honour for us to be in Pyongyang these days, to participate in the opening of the Memorial Complex and Museum of the Military Exploits of the Heroes of the Foreign Military Operation,” he noted.

The Duma Speaker added that the Russian people will never forget the heroism of the North Korean soldiers.

He also expressed gratitude for North Korea’s “fraternal support” in “liberating Kursk, when Korean soldiers fought shoulder to shoulder with our soldiers and officers, liberating Russian soil from Ukrainian Nazis. Together, we honour the memory of those heroes who died giving their lives for the freedom of our homeland. This is truly a gesture from a friend”, according to Tass.

The relationship between Kim and Putin “has become key to building the future, especially during the most difficult times,” Volodin added.

North Korea deployed around 15,000 combat troops to support Russia in the war after Kim and President Putin signed a strategic partnership treaty in June 2024.

On April 26 last year, Russia declared it had recaptured the Kursk region from Ukrainian forces, with North Korean troops playing a role in the operation.

Meanwhile, Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov arrived in the North on Sunday for a working visit. He was met by the head of the DPRK Military Department, Army General No Gwang-chol, at the airport, Tass said.

“During his visit, the head of the Russian military department will meet with the DPRK’s top leadership and the country’s armed forces command in Pyongyang and participate in commemorative events,” the ministry said.

IANS