President of Russia, Vladimir Putinand his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong-unthey started negotiations at the Russian Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Siberian Amur region. The meeting between both leaders with the participation of delegation members takes place at the first facility of the Soyuz-2 rocket industrial complex.
At the beginning of the summit, Putin said to Kim, “We have many issues to discuss. I am very glad to see you. Welcome.” Kim, on the other hand, drew attention to the “deep roots” of the friendship between North Korea and Russia, which was previously with the USSR.
The meeting between the two is expected to last several hours.. The duo’s previous meeting in 2019 lasted three and a half hours.
Shortly before the summit, Putin announced to the press that he chose the Vostochi cosmodrome for the meeting because the North Korean leader “has a great interest in rockets.” “They are trying to develop the space industry,” the Kremlin chief said. Asked whether he would talk about military cooperation with the North Korean leader, Putin replied, “We will talk about all issues without rushing. We have time.”
The Vostochny cosmodrome, whose construction has not yet been completed, covers an area of 109 hectares, where the construction of more than 200 buildings and structures is planned.
Visit
Both leaders toured the cosmodrome, a facility dedicated to the assembly of the new Russian Angara rocket, the Kremlin reported. During the visit, leaders listened to brief explanations about the technical characteristics of Soyuz-2 rockets and Angara family carriers.
Kim became interested in the properties of rocket fuel, spent stages, and the principles of launch vehicle propulsion.
The leaders were accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Plenipotentiary Representative of the Far Eastern Federal District Yuri Trutnev, Roscosmos Director Yuri Boríov and General Director of JSC TsENKI Nikolai Nesttechuk.
Angará is a family of carriers from light to heavy types, created on the basis of universal rocket modules (URM) with oxygen and kerosene engines.
Putin had previously received Kim Jong-un for the summit for the second time since 2019. As can be expected, an agreement on arms supply and military technology is also on the agenda. After crossing the Russian border the previous day, Kim arrived at the cosmodrome station by train and was then taken in a black limousine to the rocket installation and testing building of the cosmodrome, where Putin was waiting for him. Both leaders smiled and shook hands, and Putin asked Kim how the North Korean leader’s trip, which lasted more than two days, was like. The North Korean leader also thanked him for his invitation.
According to the Interfax agency, at the Vostochny cosmodrome, delegations of both countries will hold talks for “several hours”, and Putin and Kim will also hold a face-to-face meeting of about three hours.
Kim Jong-un is not the first foreign leader to show off the cosmodrome, as Belarusian President Alexandr Lukashenko has visited it several times and Min, the leader of the Burmese military junta, has also been to Vostochny. .
So far it is known that the Russian President will host a lunch in honor of the North Korean leader. There will be no press conference at the end of negotiations.
According to Russian Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov, the agenda will include bilateral relations and cooperation, commercial and economic relations, cultural exchanges, international and regional relations and “sensitive issues” that will not be disclosed to the public. This last word from Putin’s press secretary is interpreted as confirmation that the two leaders will discuss the arms supply agreement from North Korea to Russia in the war started in Ukraine, which lasted 567 days.
According to The New York Times, Putin wants North Korea to sell artillery ammunition and anti-tank missiles to Russiaduring Pyongyang will seek advanced technology for the production of satellites and nuclear-powered submarinesAs well as oil production and food aid.
Kim traveled to Russia with a delegation that included the ministers of defense and foreign affairs, as well as senior military officials, including the director of the Industrial Ordnance Department and also the secretary of the Workers’ Party Central Committee for Science and Education. It is linked to the North Korean space program.
Coinciding with the upcoming summit between both leaders, the South Korean Military reported that North Korea launched an unidentified ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan (referred to as the East Sea in the two Koreas) today.
The international community, from the United States to Asia to Ukraine, is closely monitoring the development of the summit. The United States reminded both countries that “any arms transfer from North Korea to Russia would violate many UN Security Council resolutions.” Both the White House and the State Department said, “We will not hesitate to impose new sanctions if appropriate.” said. Peskov said the other day, “The interests of our two countries are important to us, not Washington’s warnings.” said.
The South Korean Presidency also called on Russia to “act responsibly” as a member of the Security Council, as North Korea is under United Nations sanctions.