Putin Meets North Korea’s Kim, Says ‘There Are No Secrets Here’
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Leader Kim Jong-un met Thursday to discuss bilateral relations and the ongoing denuclearization talks.
Putin said he will be informing Chinese and American officials regarding his talks with the North Korean leader.
“There are no secrets here; Russia always voices an open position, there are no conspiracies. Moreover, Chairman Kim Jong-un himself asked us to inform the US side about his position, about his questions arising in connection with processes on the Korean Peninsula and everything taking place around this,” Putin said. “Therefore, I repeat, there are no secrets here. We will also discuss this with the Americans and our Chinese friends.”
According to the Kremlin, the talks started with a one-on-one conversation between the two leaders, with members of national delegations joining the consultations later on.
Kim Jong-un arrived in Vladivostok at the invitation of the President of Russia. This is the first meeting between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un, as well as the first foreign visit by Kim since his re-election to this post.
“I came to Russia to exchange opinions on the current situation on the Korean Peninsula, which is among the most topical items of the current international agenda, and also to discuss methods for peacefully resolving this matter and exchange opinions on ways to develop our bilateral relations in line with the new century’s demands,” Kim Jong-un said.
After the consultations, an official reception was held on behalf of the President of Russia in honor of Kim Jong-un.
Later Vladimir Putin answered questions from media representatives at which he said he was satisfied with the outcomes of the talks.
“Chairman Kim Jong-un is quite an open person and speaks freely,” said Putin adding, “We had a very detailed conversation on all items on our agenda and discussed them in various aspects, including bilateral relations, sanctions, United Nations, relations with the United States, and, of course, the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.”
Putin said the most important thing is to restore the rule of international law and revert to the position where global developments are regulated by international law instead of the rule of force.
According to Putin, a denuclearization agreement was possible as far back as 2005, when the United States and North Korea signed the relevant treaty and agreement.
“For some reason, our American partners suddenly decided that the provisions stipulated and coordinated by the United States were not exhaustive, and that it was necessary to add something else there. These aspects were included in the treaty, and North Korea immediately withdrew from it,” Putin said.