Kim to 'soon' visit Russia, confirms North Korea

Kim Jong-un. Pic/AFP

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will "soon" visit Russia for his first summit with President Vladimir Putin, state media has reported, confirming a Kremlin announcement. Kim "will soon pay a visit to the Russian Federation at the invitation" of Putin, North Korea's official KCNA news service said.

"They will have talks during this visit," the brief dispatch added. The KCNA did not specify when or where the pair would meet. The Kremlin said last week that the pair would meet in Russia "in the second half of April" but provided no further details.

They are expected to meet in the eastern port of Vladivostok, possibly on Wednesday or Thursday. It will be the first summit between the leaders of North Korea and Russia since Kim Jong Il - the current leader's father - met with Dmitry Medvedev eight years ago. Russia has relatively warm ties with N Korea and provides some food aid, and Putin has long expressed his readiness to meet with Kim.

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