Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have begun official talks in Pyongyang.
Putin arrived in the city before dawn on Wednesday on his first visit to the country in 24 years. Kim was at the airport to greet him and the two leaders traveled together to the Kumsusan State Guest House in a large motorcade.
The visit is made at the invitation of Kim and follows talks that the two held last September at the Vostochny cosmodrome, in eastern Russia.
Russia and North Korea have deepened their relationship since Moscow began its large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The United States and South Korea say Pyongyang has been providing weapons to Russia for use in Ukraine, in exchange for technological expertise to boost weapons development as Kim modernizes his country's military.
