North Korea's top diplomat meets with Putin on a visit to Russia

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MOSCOW (AP) — North Korea's top diplomat visited the Kremlin on Monday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which followed last month's meeting between the countries' leaders.

Putin and Kim Jong Un met in Beijing in September after attending a major military parade in the heart of the Chinese capital that marked the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.

Putin asked North Korean Foreign Minister Chon Son Hui on Monday to convey his best wishes to Kim, noting that they had a very warm meeting, according to his televised remarks at the start of the talks.

Before attending the Kremlin meeting with Putin, Choe held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who again hailed North Korean troops for fighting alongside the Russian military in the Kursk region after a surprise Ukrainian incursion.

“These heroic deeds will, of course, further strengthen the bonds of friendship and historical unity in our shared struggle for justice,” Lavrov said.

Choe noted a “considerable progress" in relations between the two countries and stressed Pyongyang's “unwavering" support for “the Russian leadership’s policy aimed at defending state sovereignty, territorial integrity and international justice.”

According to South Korean assessments, North Korea has sent around 15,000 troops to Russia since last fall and also supplied large quantities of military equipment, including artillery and ballistic missiles to support Moscow's military action in Ukraine. Kim has also agreed to send thousands of military construction workers and deminers to Russia’s Kursk region.