NKorea politburo discusses Kim-Putin summit, calls for follow-up measures

SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held a politburo meeting with top officials to discuss the outcome of his recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and called for thorough follow-up measures, state media KCNA said on Friday.

During the politburo meeting of the central committee of the Workers' Party on Wednesday, officials analysed the significance of Kim's visit to Russia and introduced long-term plans for developing their bilateral relations, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

Kim called for active implementation of "constructive measures" for deepening their bilateral ties in all fields and developing them onto a new high level" and stressed the need to "strengthen close contacts and cooperation among relevant fields of the two countries to expand and develop cooperation in every field in an all-round way," Yonhap news agency reported.

The meeting also discussed a "series of ways for practically and comprehensively applying the successes" made by Kim "through his external activities," the KCNA said, without providing further details.

Department director of the committee Kim Song-nam said the recent visit put North Korea-Russia relations on a "new strategic level in response to the demand of the new era and brought a radical change in the world geo-political situation."

The rare summit between the two leaders took place at the Vostochny space center in Russia's Far East last Wednesday amid concerns the North could agree to supply ammunition for Russia's war in Ukraine in exchange for food aid and transfer of weapons technology.