What Did Russia's Duma Speaker Discuss with North Korea's Kim?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Meeting commemorated the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japan.
- Volodin conveyed Putin's greetings and discussed bilateral relations.
- Kim expressed support for Russia amidst the ongoing Ukraine conflict.
- Strengthening ties between Russia and North Korea is evident.
- Continued diplomatic engagement is crucial for both nations.
Moscow, Aug 15 (NationPress) The leader of Russia's lower house of parliament met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang and delivered greetings from Russian President Vladimir Putin, as reported by Russian media on Friday.
The encounter between Kim and Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of the State Duma, occurred the day before during his visit to Pyongyang in celebration of the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese rule, according to TASS, citing a Russian parliamentary news release, which was also reported by Yonhap News Agency.
Volodin extended congratulations on behalf of President Putin to the North Korean leadership and citizens during a formal event commemorating the public holiday, TASS noted.
He also expressed appreciation to Kim for the backing received from the North Korean populace as they fought in the Kursk frontline region amidst the Russia-Ukraine war, the report stated.
The Russian lawmaker is in North Korea from Thursday to Friday with a parliamentary delegation to honor the 80th anniversary of the Korean Peninsula's liberation from Japanese colonial governance from 1910 to 1945, which is celebrated on Friday.
On Thursday, he also held talks with Choe Ryong-hae, chairman of the North's parliamentary standing committee, discussing opportunities for interparliamentary collaboration between the two nations, according to TASS.
Earlier this week, Kim Jong-un expressed his “full support” for Russia during a phone call with President Putin, as reported by Pyongyang's state media on Wednesday, ahead of a forthcoming summit between US President Donald Trump and Putin in Alaska.
This phone discussion marked the first time that North Korea disclosed its leader's phone conversation with a foreign leader, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
The talks occurred as Putin and Trump are scheduled to meet in Alaska on Friday to deliberate on efforts to terminate Moscow's war in Ukraine.
Kim conveyed strong assurance that the DPRK would continuously uphold the spirit of the DPRK-Russia treaty and fully endorse all future measures by the Russian leadership, the KCNA reported, referencing a mutual defense agreement signed last June.
The abbreviation DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's formal name.
Regarding North Korea's troop deployment for Russia's war with Ukraine, Putin commended the “bravery, heroism and self-sacrificing spirit” displayed by the Korean People’s Army in liberating Kursk, according to the KCNA.
Previously, the TASS news agency reported that Putin updated Kim on his upcoming engagement with Trump during their phone conversation, although the KCNA did not include this in their coverage.
The KCNA stated that Putin congratulated North Korea in advance of its 80th anniversary of liberation on August 15, commemorating Korea's freedom from Japan's colonial rule from 1910 to 1945.
Both Kim and Putin reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing cooperation and agreed to maintain closer contact moving forward.