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North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui has held talks with her Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan in Pyongyang, state media said Wednesday, in the first visit by a Singaporean foreign minister to North Korea in eight years. On Tuesday, the two discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations and deepen cooperation in “multiple areas,” as well as “regional and international matters,” according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Balakrishnan was greeted upon arrival at Pyongyang International Airport the previous day by Vice Foreign Minister Pak Sang-gil and Ro Kil-song, North Korea’s ambassador to Singapore. North Korea’s foreign ministry also hosted a welcoming dinner for the Singaporean delegation, the report said. The Pyongyang stop is part of Balakrishnan’s five-day Northeast Asia tour from Sunday to Thursday, which also includes visits to China and South Korea. Singapore has maintained a relatively cordial relationship with North Korea, most notably providing the venue for the historic first summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in 2018. Considering Singapore’s history with North Korea and the fact that Balakrishnan is visiting Pyongyang right before traveling to Seoul, his meeting with Choe may offer South Korea an indirect window into North Korea’s interest in dialogue. Balakrishnan is scheduled to arrive in Seoul on Thursday. submitted by /u/Ok-Huckleberry5836 |
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