North Korea's Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui Visits Moscow for Talks with Lavrov
North Korea’s top diplomat, Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, arrived in Moscow on 18 July 2024 on the invitation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The two sides held high‑level talks aimed at deepening their strategic and military partnership, a relationship that has accelerated since the comprehensive strategic partnership agreement signed in June 2024.
The visit coincided with President Vladimir Putin’s public gratitude to Pyongyang for sending thousands of troops, missiles, ammunition and other military aid to support Russia’s campaign in Ukraine’s Kursk region. Putin praised the “heroic deeds” of the North Korean soldiers and highlighted ongoing exchanges of financial aid, military technology, food and energy from Russia to the isolated regime. The meeting underscores the growing alignment of the two allies amid the war in Ukraine and broader regional security concerns.