North Korea and Russia top diplomats meet with eye toward Putin visit

SEOUL -- North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui met with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on Tuesday, where they were expected to work toward arranging what would be President Vladimir Putin's first visit to the North since 2000.

The two sides likely discussed coordination on international issues as well as strengthening ties across a range of fields including economic areas and military technology. In her opening remarks, Choe said the meeting would be "the launching point for taking bilateral relations to a new level this year."