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N Korean FM-Russia
SEOUL, July 22 (Yonhap) -- North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui has returned home from her visit to Russia, the North's state media reported Wednesday.
Choe and her delegation arrived at Pyongyang International Airport on her personal official plane the previous day, and were greeted by Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jong-gyu and Vladimir Topekha, charge d'affaires ad interim of the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in a brief dispatch.
Choe made a four-day trip to Moscow starting Saturday at the invitation of her Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, as the two states continue to expand ties since their leaders signed a mutual defense pact in 2024.
With no major diplomatic events or anniversaries on the schedule, Choe's visit had fueled speculation that her trip may be aimed at coordinating a potential trip by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to Russia.
Putin invited Kim to visit Moscow for summit talks when the two leaders met in Pyongyang in June 2024. Choe met with Putin in the Kremlin on Sunday, according to an earlier KCNA report.
Choe and her Russian counterpart, Lavrov, met Monday, in which the two agreed to accelerate cooperation centered on implementing the countries' treaty, reaffirming their commitment to developing bilateral relations "under the strategic guidance at the highest level," the KCNA reported earlier.
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