Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his readiness to meet North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un 鈥渁t an early date,鈥� according to Pyongyang鈥檚 state-run KCNA news agency Wednesday.
Putin has been kept waiting for an answer after asking Kim to attend next month鈥檚 economic forum in Vladivostok, but Pyongyang did confirm this week that South Korean President Moon Jae-in will visit the North Korean capital 鈥渨ithin September.鈥�
The Russian leader鈥檚 personal message celebrated the 73rd anniversary of Korea鈥檚 liberation from Japanese colonial rule, which is marked as a holiday in both the North and the South.
Putin reportedly mentioned the need 鈥渢o discuss urgent issues of bilateral relations and important matters of the region鈥�. They would apparently include 鈥渞eciprocal cooperation鈥� involving economic ties between Russia and both Koreas.
Meanwhile, at the risk of arousing suspicion from the South鈥檚 military ally the United States, Moon declared his ambition to create a Northeast Asian 鈥榬ailroad community鈥� including his own country along with the North, Russia, China, Japan and Mongolia.
鈥淭his community will lead to an energy bloc and economic bloc in Northeast Asia by expanding our economic area to the northern continent and becoming the foundation of co-existence and prosperity in Northeast Asia,鈥� the South Korean president said in his Liberation Day address.
While insisting that 鈥渆conomic cooperation can really take off鈥� when North Korea has denuclearized, the South鈥檚 president added that Seoul aims to connect roads and railways across the inter-Korean border by the end of the year.
The U.S. has called on all countries to adhere to global sanctions against the North, which is yet to agree on a timeline for its denuclearization despite two months passing since June 12鈥檚 summit agreement between Chairman Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump.
By Alex Jensen in Seoul
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr