Kim writes to Putin, vows to strengthen bilateral ties

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Friday wrote a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin vowing efforts to strengthen bilateral ties, ahead of the upcoming summit between the two leaders.

"It is fully compatible with the common interests of our two peoples in order to continue to strengthen and develop the goodwill relationship that has been established by senior leaders and has long historical roots," the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) cited the letter as saying.

"I have a willingness to cooperate closely with you to maintain the peace and security of the Korean peninsula and the world while continuing to constructively develop friendly relations in accordance with the demands of the new era," it read.

"I would like to take this opportunity to make greater achievement in your responsible business to build a strong and strong Russia, and to have well-being and prosperity for the friendly people of Russia," it added.

The Kremlin, in a brief statement on Thursday, said that the North Korean leader will visit Russia "in the second half of April" on an invitation extended by the Russian President, however, no additional details of the meeting have been disclosed.

The first-ever Kim-Putin summit comes after the breakdown of Kim's meeting with United States President Donald Trump in Hanoi in February. The summit had ended abruptly as the two parties failed to reach an agreement over denuclearisation.

Speculations hint that the two leaders will hold their first summit in Russia's Far East city of Vladivostok next week when Putin travels to the Far East on his way to China for an international forum, Yonhap agency reported.

Kim and Putin are expected to discuss the development of bilateral ties, issues related to denuclearisation and regional cooperation, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by Russia's TASS news agency.

Peskov added that "Russia will be ready to do everything to promote the process of denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula to the best of its abilities."

He also said that the venue and exact date for the Kim-Putin summit have yet to be released due to security concerns.