Putin briefed on tourist exchanges with N. Korea, prep for visit under way: Kremlin

SEOUL, May 19 (Yonhap) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has been briefed on tourist exchanges between Moscow and Pyongyang and preparations for his visit to North Korea are underway, the Kremlin has said.

The Russian news agency TASS on Saturday (local time) quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying, "Preparations for the visit are proceeding at their own pace."

Putin has not visited North Korea since July 2000.

TASS also reported that Alexander Kozlov, the environment minister for Moscow, who is leading an intergovernmental commission on cooperation with North Korea, touted the growing popularity of tourist exchanges between the two countries during his meeting with Putin earlier Saturday.

According to TASS, Kozlov said: "We have big plans with our Korean comrades. We have recently executed some of them. There has been a good exchange of tourist groups."

Kozlov also informed the president that the Moscow Zoo and ballet dancers had recently visited North Korea and the countries were discussing plant breeding.

When Putin asked him about future plans, Kozlov replied, "We have plans to continue this work," according to TASS.

However, Peskov told TASS that Putin's meeting with Kozlov was not related to the preparations for Putin's trip to North Korea.

During his visit to Russia in September, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un invited Putin to come to Pyongyang. Then in January, North Korea Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui met Putin in Moscow, and her office later said Putin had expressed his willingness to visit North Korea at an early date.

In February, Alexander Matsegora, the Russian ambassador to North Korea, said in media interviews that preparations were ongoing for joint documents to be signed by the two countries during Putin's visit to North Korea.
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