Russia's President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un visit the Vostochny ?osmodrome in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, Sept. 13, 2023. Reuters-Yonhap

North Korea said Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his willingness to visit Pyongyang at an early date and the country is ready to "greet the Korean people's closest friend with the greatest sincerity."

The North Korean foreign minister's assistant office made the announcement in a statement released on the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), two days after Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui returned from a trip to Moscow.

"President Putin expressed deep thanks once again for the invitation of President of the State Affairs Kim Jong Un to visit Pyongyang at a convenient time and expressed his willingness to visit the DPRK at an early date," the KCNA said.

The DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name.

Choe's visit to Russia came with the two countries seeking to strengthen military cooperation, as the North has been supplying Russia with arms for use in its war against Ukraine in exchange for Russia's technical assistance for Pyongyang's weapons programs. Choe met with her Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, and paid a courtesy call on Putin.

Choe's assistant office noted that Putin thanked North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for extending an invitation to visit Pyongyang, and the Russian leader "expressed his willingness to visit the DPRK at an early date."

"The DPRK government warmly welcomes President Putin to visit Pyongyang and is ready to greet the Korean people's closest friend with the greatest sincerity," the statement said.

On Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin's visit to the North was being discussed between the two sides "through diplomatic channels."

Putin last visited North Korea in July 2000.

The North Korean foreign minister's assistant office said Pyongyang and Moscow "reached a consensus of views" on regional and international issues concerning the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia.

"Both sides recognized that the friendly and cooperative relations between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation, independent sovereign states, serve as a powerful strategic fortress and a traction engine in defending international peace and security and promoting the building of a multi-polarized world," the statement read.

It also said Russia thanked the North "for extending full support and solidarity to the stand of the Russian government and people on the special military operation in Ukraine." (Yonhap)