Beijing, Sep 3 (AP) Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have convened for bilateral discussions in Beijing.
The two leaders held their formal meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse following their attendance at a significant military parade in the heart of the Chinese capital, commemorating the 80th anniversary of World War II's conclusion.
The Kremlin disclosed, via a social media post, that both Putin and Kim traveled together from a formal reception to the negotiations in the same vehicle.
Addressing the press as the meeting commenced, Putin lauded the courage and heroism exhibited by North Korean soldiers who fought alongside Moscow’s forces to fend off a Ukrainian attack on Russia’s Kursk border region.
South Korean assessments suggest that North Korea has dispatched approximately 15,000 troops to Russia since the previous year.
In his introductory comments, Kim Jong Un, according to the Russian state media outlet Tass, remarked that aiding Russia is North Korea's “fraternal duty.”
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