Sawt Falasteen - N.Korea's Kim offers Russia full support on Ukraine in Lavrov talks: KCNA

Lavrov's visit was the latest in a series of high-profile trips by top Moscow officials as both countries deepen military and political ties amid Russia's offensive against Kyiv.

Pyongyang sent thousands of troops to Russia's Kursk region to oust Ukrainian forces and provided the Russian army with artillery shells and missiles.

Kim and Lavrov met on Saturday in "an atmosphere full of warm comradely trust," the official KCNA news agency reported.

Russia's foreign ministry posted a video on Telegram of the two men shaking hands and greeting each other with a hug.

Kim told Lavrov that North Korea was "ready to unconditionally support and encourage all the measures taken by the Russian leadership as regards the tackling of the root cause of the Ukrainian crisis", KCNA said.

The North Korean leader also expressed a "firm belief that the Russian army and people would surely win victory in accomplishing the sacred cause of defending the dignity and basic interests of the country".

The two men otherwise discussed "important matters for faithfully implementing the agreements made at the historic DPRK-Russia summit talks in June 2024", KCNA said.

The two heavily sanctioned nations signed a military deal last year, including a mutual defence clause, during a rare visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to North Korea.

Lavrov told Kim that Putin "hopes for continued direct contacts in the very near future", according to the Russian state agency TASS.

Russian and North Korean state media have said Lavrov would stay until Sunday.

Earlier Saturday, Lavrov met with his counterpart Choe Son Hui and thanked the "heroic" North Korean soldiers who have been deployed to aid Russia, TASS said.

Both sides "emphasised their determination to jointly counter the hegemonic aspirations of extra-regional players, which are leading to escalating tensions in Northeast Asia and throughout the Asia-Pacific region", Russia's foreign ministry said.

Lavrov met with his counterpart in Wonsan, a city on the country's east coast where a massive resort was opened earlier this month.

Ahead of the visit, Russia announced that it would begin twice-a-week flights between Moscow and Pyongyang.

Lavrov lauded Wonsan as "a good tourist attraction", adding: "We hope it will be popular not only with local citizens, but also with Russians."

O.Salim--SF-PST