ISTANBUL

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will pay a two-day official visit to North Korea this week.

At the invitation of North Korea’s Foreign Ministry, a Russian Foreign Ministry statement said Lavrov’s visit to North Korea will take place on Oct. 18-19, following an ongoing official visit to Beijing, where Russian President Vladimir Putin is also scheduled to travel for talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

Putin is also expected to attend the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International (BRI) Cooperation.

​​​​​​​Relations between Russia and North Korea have drawn closer following an official visit by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to Moscow last month.