Putin meets DPRK's Kim in Beijing

BEIJING — Russian President Vladimir Putin and the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Kim Jong-un, met for bilateral talks in Beijing on Wednesday.

The two leaders met formally at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse after attending a military parade in the Chinese capital that marked the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and the World Anti-Fascist War.

Putin and Kim traveled from a formal reception to the negotiations in the same car, the Kremlin said in a post on social media.

After a bilateral meeting between Russian and DPRK delegations, the two leaders held a one-on-one meeting, the Kremlin said.

Putin also invited Kim to visit Russia again, following on from the DPRK leader's last visit to the country in 2023.

In his remarks, Kim said the cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow has "significantly strengthened" since the two countries signed a strategic partnership pact in June last year during a summit in the DPRK capital.

The leaders bid each other a warm farewell after the two-and-a-half-hour talks, Russia's TASS news agency reported.

"See you soon," Kim said through an interpreter, hugging Putin goodbye.

"We are waiting for you, come visit us," Putin replied.

Agencies via Xinhua