김정은-푸틴, 오늘 낮 첫 정상회담…비핵화•경협 논의 관측
It's the first meeting in eight years between the leaders of North Korea and Russia, and the first between these two leaders in particular.
But will these talks help with the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula?
For more on today's summit,... our foreign ministry correspondent Lee Ji-won is on the line for us.
So Ji-won, what can you tell us so far?
Devin, we are now three hours into the first Kim-Putin summit.
Now there's been a little bit of a delay in schedule.
After the leaders' one-on-one sitdown finished at around 3,... the leaders started their expanded meeting about an hour later.
So we are now about an hour into the expanded meeting,... with two more hours left to go.
North Korea's foreign minister Ri Yong-ho and vice foreign minister Choe Son-hui have joined Kim Jong-un in the expanded meeting,... while on the Russian side,... all the delegates, including the ministers of transportation, and Far East development, are known to be at the meeting.
Now I'll go back a little,... and give you a brief recap of what happened earlier today.
The leaders met slightly past 2 p.m, local time,... at the Far Eastern Federal University on Russky Island.
And at around 2-10, the leaders began with their one-on-one sitdown.
There, the two leaders exchanged some opening remarks. Let's have a listen.
"I believe our meeting will be a very useful one in developing the relationship between the two countries, who have a long friendship and history, into a more stable and sound one. The world is currently focused on the issues surrounding the Korean Peninsula. I think our talk today will be meaningful in that it allows us to exchange views and evaluations on the issue, and jointly search for a solution ahead."
. .
"I'm convinced that your visit to Russia today will contribute to the development of bilateral relations, and help to gain a better understanding of the possible ways to settle the situation on the Korean Peninsula and what Russia can do to support the process."
Now, according to local media,... the two leaders are expected to hold a joint press conference at around 7 p.m., once their expanded talk is done, which will likely be followed by a dinner banquet.
So what are we expecting to come out of today's talks?
Well Devin, like the two leaders have been emphasizing in their remarks, it seems they have mostly focused on the North's current talks with the U.S.
Russian presidential aide, Yuri Ushakov had also said that the focus of today's talk will be on finding a diplomatic solution to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
But like you said,... this is the first Pyeongyang-Moscow summit in eight years,... the last one being in 2011 with Kim's late father Kim Jong-il meeting with then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
And as much as the summit is seen as Kim Jong-un's effort to seek support from
