Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in North Korea on Wednesday, just days after the U.S. said Pyongyang had transferred munition to Moscow for its ongoing war in Ukraine.
Russian state news agency RIA Novosti posted a video of a crowd greeting Lavrov in the pouring rain in Pyongyang alongside a welcoming party waving pom poms.
Shortly after arriving, Lavrov said his visit was an opportunity to discuss implementing the agreements President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had signed when they met at Russia’s Vostochny Cosmodrome in September, according to Russian state news agency Tass.
Lavrov also said Russia highly appreciates North Korea’s “principled, unequivocal support for Russia’s actions” in Ukraine.
Earlier in the week, Lavrov accompanied Putin on a visit to Beijing that underscored Chinese support for Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
The White House said on Friday that North Korea has delivered more than 1,000 containers of military equipment and munitions to Russia.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. believes Kim is seeking sophisticated Russian weapons technologies in return for the munitions to boost North Korea’s military and nuclear program.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited North Korea in July, and Kim traveled to Russia in September.
During his two-day visit, Lavrov is expected to meet with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, RIA Novosti said. Putin had also accepted an invitation from Kim to visit North Korea, but the timing has not been announced.
