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Top Russian, North Korean diplomats kick off talks in Pyongyang

The meeting is held at the building of the Supreme People’s Assembly

PYONGYANG, May 31. /TASS/. Russian and North Korean Foreign Ministers Sergey Lavrov and Ri Yong-ho began talks in Pyongyang, where the top Russian diplomat arrived on Thursday to discuss the situation on the Korean Peninsula, a TASS correspondent reported.

The meeting is held at the building of the Supreme People’s Assembly.

Only some media representatives were able to be present at the beginning of the talks. Among them were TV operators and photo correspondents. According to them, the ministers greeted each other with a handshake and then the North Korean foreign minister said a couple of words.

He congratulated Russia on having formed the new government and wished it to successfully hold the upcoming FIFA World Cup.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said earlier the sides are expected to discuss vital issues of bilateral relations and key international and regional issues.

Lavrov is paying a visit to North Korea for the first time since 2009.

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