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Putin, Kim had ‘personal chemistry’ at Vladivostok summit, Russian ambassador says

After the summit, Putin called Kim an interesting and substantive interlocutor

© Valery Melnikov/POOL/TASS

PYONGYANG, April 29. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had "personal chemistry" at their summit in Vladivostok last week, Russian Ambassador to Pyongyang Alexander Matsegora told TASS on Monday.

RUSSIA-NORTH KOREA SUMMIT

"I highly appreciate the outcome of the summit, without any exaggeration this has been a historic summit," Matsegora stressed. "This was the first meeting between our leaders, and I felt that during this meeting they had personal chemistry. This was what Moscow had said ahead of the summit : "we expect that the two leaders will have personal chemistry."

The Russian envoy to North Korea noted that the two leaders had communicated for five hours during "both official and very informal meetings."

"They frankly discussed the issues of bilateral agenda and international security," Matsegora said. "The sides’ positions on many issues were close or coincided."

According to the head of Russia’s mission to North Korea, he returned to Pyongyang "in a very good and upbeat mood." "I have the task now to start implementing the agreements reached by the leaders," he stressed. "These are important agreements in many areas. Now we will turn up our sleeves and start working."

Vladivostok summit

Negotiations between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un were held on April 25 on Russky Island in Russia’s Far Eastern city of Vladivostok. The leaders thoroughly discussed bilateral relations and their prospects and dwelled on issues linked to the situation on the Korean Peninsula, in particular the denuclearization problem. The Vladivostok summit became the first face-to-face meeting between Putin and Kim Jong-un.

After the summit, Putin called Kim an interesting and substantive interlocutor, while the North Korean leader described the exchange of views as "very substantive."

Russia’s envoy to North Korea took part in preparing all stages of Kim’s visit to Russia. He was among officials, who met with the North Korean leader at the Hasan station, attended talks in an extended format on Russky Island, participated in a festive reception in honor of the North Korean guest and in the seeing-off ceremony.

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