Diplomacy summits

A senior North Korean diplomat reaffirmed strengthening ties with Russia on Saturday to mark the seventh anniversary of the 2019 summit between leader Kim Jong-un and President Vladimir Putin. Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jong-gyu hailed the Vladivostok meeting as a "new turning point" in bilateral relations. He cited the June 2024 Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership signed in Pyongyang as elevating ties to a "high level of alliance."