Russian Foreign Minister to visit North Korea

Moscow, May 30 (IANS) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will visit North Korea on Thursday to discuss the situation around the Korean peninsula, it was announced on Wednesday.

Lavrov will discuss with his North Korean counterpart Ri Yong-ho the situation on the Korean peninsula, bilateral issues and other key topics of international and regional significance, according to the Foreign Ministry statement cited by TASS news agency.

The envoy's visit to Pyongyang comes in the middle of negotiations to save the Singapore summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un scheduled for June 12.

Last week, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova had said that Lavrov's visit to North Korea was being considered but did not offer any dates.

The last meeting between Lavrov and Ri was on April 10 in Moscow.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had earlier regretted Trump's announcement on May 24 cancelling his summit with Kim.

According to Putin, this meeting "could serve as an important step to lower the tension and initiate the denuclearisation process of the entire Korean peninsula".

Putin said that he hoped dialogue "would be restored and sustained and that the meeting must take place".