Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in North Korea for a two-day state visit.
Mr Putin was received by North Korea’s ruler, Kim Jong Un, at the airport in Pyongyang, the Russian news agency Interfax reported on Wednesday.
According to observers, the two-day visit will also focus on further arms deliveries from Pyongyang, which Moscow intends to use in its war against Ukraine.
The main part of the visit begins on Wednesday.
The day would begin with a meeting between Mr Putin and Mr Kim in Kim Il Sung Square, Pyongyang’s urban and symbolic centre.
Long negotiations were planned, first in one-on-one talks, then on a larger scale.
In addition to several meals together, a wreath-laying ceremony and a joint concert visit have also been announced.
The last time Mr Putin was in North Korea was in 2000, when he was received by Mr Kim’s father, Kim Jong Il.
He said that after a long break in the relationship, the two countries have recently moved closer together, not least because of the Ukraine war.
