Mr Putin and Chairman Kim, in their inaugural face-to-face encounter, smiled broadly and shook hands outside the campus of the Far Eastern Federal University. The Russian President was full of praise for the North Korean leader and “welcomed” his efforts to “normalise” its nuclear weapons programme, following a summit in Vladivostok, eastern Russia. Mr Putin also sought to progress “bilateral relations” with Pyongyang and seek a solution to the ongoing rift between North Korea and the US.
The Russian leader said: “I’m sure your visit to Russia will also help to develop our bilateral relations and will help us to understand the ways we can help to settle the situation on the Korean Peninsula, what can be done together, what Russia can do to support the positive processes that are taking their place now.
“We welcome your efforts on developing inter-Korean dialogue and your efforts on normalising the US-North Korean relations. And of course, in terms of bilateral agenda, we need to achieve a lot to develop trade and economic ties and humanitarian ties.”
Chairman Kim, who had arrived in Vladivostok a day earlier on board his armoured train, said the situation on the Korean peninsula “is an issue that the world is very interested in.”
He added he hoped for “a very useful meeting in developing the relationship between the two countries, who have a long friendship and history, into a more stable and sound one”.
Mr Kim said: “I would like to offer again a sincere gratitude to Mr. President for making time in his busy schedule and come thousands of miles from the capital city of Moscow to here to give us time for a great conversation.
“We are visiting Russia this time to meet in person with President Putin and exchange our opinions. It is to exchange our mutual views on Korean Peninsula and this region’s political landscape which is a great focus of the world’s attention.”
He added: “It is also to work for stabilisation of this regions political landscape and to deeply share opinion on issues that pertains to jointly managing the political landscape in the future.
“Another purpose was to exchange opinions on the issues like growing and developing our two nation’s traditional relationship into one that is more solid and constructive according to the demand of the new century.”
The landmark summit follows two months on from a second meeting between Chairman Kim and US President Donald Trump.
However talks between the two nuclear superpowers in Hanoi broke down over disagreements over US sanctions.