The first North Korea-Russia summit in 8 years is being held today in Vladivostok.
The summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin started at the Far Eastern Federal University, located on Russky Island off the coast of Vladivostok.
Kim said summit with Putin will be meaningful in discussing Korean Peninsula issues.
In response, Putin said he supports Kim's efforts to normalize relations with the U.S.
According to Russia's presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, their meeting will start with a one-on-one sitdown, followed by an expanded talk between the respective delegations.
Their last schedule for the day is expected to be a joint-lunch before Putin is expected to leave for China's "One Belt One Road" conference.
According to Ushakov, the focus of today's talk will be on the diplomatic solution to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
The leaders are likely to talk about their bilateral issues especially economic ties.
The two leaders are also likely to discuss the need to ease UN sanctions against North Korea.
This is the first Pyeongyang-Moscow summit in 8 years, the last one being in 2011 with Kim's late father and the former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.
The move is expected to bring changes to North Korea's denuclearization negotiations going forward.
North Korea has replaced its top nuclear negotiator, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's right-hand man Kim Yong-chol, who was in charge of the reclusive state's denuclearization and has been the counterpart to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
He has been replaced by Jang Kum-chol, a member of the North’s Korean Asia-Pacific Peace Committee.
That's according to South Korean lawmaker Lee Hye-hoon, who heads the National Assembly's Intelligence Committee, citing a source from Seoul's intelligence agency.
With the replacement of Kim, a hardline military commander, analysts foresee changes in future denuclearization negotiations between Pyeongyang and Washington.
Some also predict the focus of denuclearization negotiations could now be shifted to the regime's foreign ministry from the ruling party Central Committee's United Front Department, which was formerly headed by Kim Yong-chol.
In response to the news, the U.S. State Department has reiterated its stance that it will continue to engage in constructive dialogue with the regime.
Presidential office says South Korean President Moon Jae-in will be holding a meeting with the visiting Russian secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, Nikolai Patrushev.
And a top-level security meeting with Seoul's National Security Adviser Chung Eui-yong at the top office as well.
Though no detail has been announced on the agenda items for the talks, it is largely expected to be about the meeting taking place between leaders Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin.
Patrushev, known to be one of Putin's closest aides, is also expected to talk Russian President's possible visit to Seoul after the South Korean leaders' trip to Moscow last year.
Source: Arirang NEws
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