RUSSIA FOREIGN MINISTER LAVROV VOWS SUPPORT FOR NORTH KOREA

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed support for North Korea’s policies in a speech commemorating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Pyongyang and Moscow, according to North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency.

“Russia fully supports all the policies of the DPRK government” that leader Kim Jong Un has adopted to defend his national interests, KCNA cited Lavrov as saying, referring to North Korea by its formal name. Lavrov is in North Korea for his first visit in about five years.

Lavrov flew to Pyongyang on Wednesday from Beijing where he took part in the Belt and Road Initiative forum along with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian Tass newswire reported.

Lavrov will spend two days in North Korea, according to North Korean state media. The trip could also facilitate a possible visit by Putin after he accepted an invitation from Kim to make the journey to the isolated Asian state when the two met for a summit in Russia in September.