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Putin’s meeting with North Korean leader may be held — Kremlin

The options will be discussed, according to the Kremlin spokesman

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov Mikhail Metzel/TASS

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov

© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

MOSCOW, June 1. /TASS/. A meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may be held and the options will be discussed, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday.

Commenting on a report of North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) that there is an agreement to hold the meeting this year, Peskov said: "Yes, indeed, this meeting may take place, its modalities and time will be further agreed via diplomatic channels."

When asked if the option of holding this meeting in Beijing was discussed, Peskov said: "No, not particularly [in Beijing], this is not discussed."

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Earlier on Friday, the KCNA state news agency reported that North Korea and Russia agreed to hold a meeting between the two countries’ leaders this year. According to the report, this agreement was reached after the May 31 talks between Kim Jong-un and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Pyongyang.

The sides agreed to invigorate high-level visits, exchange and cooperation in different fields and hold a meeting between the top leaders of the DPRK and Russia this year marking the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, KCNA said.

Lavrov was the first Russian official to meet with Kim this year. His visit took place amid the intensified US-North Korean dialogue and less than two weeks ahead of the scheduled US-North Korean summit meeting in Singapore on June 12.

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Vladimir Putin Kim Jong Un

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