North Korean top diplomat to visit Russia, Belarus

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui will undertake trips to Russia and Belarus, state media reported Sunday.

The visits are at the invitation of the foreign ministries of the two nations.

Pyongyang has yet to release details, including dates of the trips by Choe, who visited Moscow last November when she met President Vladimir Putin.

North Korea and Russia have closed ranks in recent years, with the two sides signing a mutual defense treaty last year, which requires military support for each other in case of attack by a third party.

Thousands of North Korean soldiers were deployed in Russia last year amid the war with Ukraine. Dozens have been killed.

Last month, during China's military parade in Beijing, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko.

Kim also extended an invitation to Lukashenko to visit North Korea.