The Kremlin has established that Russia and North Korea have not signed any agreements on military matters or any other areas in the course of Kim Jong Un’s visit to Russia.
There has been speculation over a potential arms deal between Moscow and Pyongyang.
In the days prior to the meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un’s meeting, the U.S government warned that Russia and North Korea were “actively advancing” their negotiations over a potential arms deal in which Pyongyang will provide weapons for Moscow in exchange for ballistic missile technology.
U.S officials warned that Washington “will not hesitate to impose sanctions” if the meeting between Putin and Kim resulted in weapons transfers between the two countries.
Responding to the speculation during a regular call with journalists, Kremlin Spokesman, Dmitry Peskov said, “No agreements were signed neither on this nor on any other topics.”
“There were no such plans,” he added.
Meanwhile, the North Korean leader visited military and civil aviation plants in Komsomolsk-on-Amur on Friday, September 15, 2023.
According to Russian state media, Kim Jong Un received a red-carpet welcome as a “top-ranking guest” upon his arrival at Komsomolsk-on-Amur.
The state media added that in keeping with the Russian tradition for “special guests,” Kim was welcomed with bread and salt.
Kim, who arrived by train, was received personally by the city’s Mayor, Alexander Zhornik, and the Khabarovsk Region Governor, Mikhail Degtyarev at the railway station.
Kim, accompanied by Russian Deputy Prime Minister, Denis Manturov visited the Yuri Gagarin Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant.
The aircraft plant was named after Yuri Gagarin, the Soviet cosmonaut who became the first person to travel to space.
The plant is one of the two major aircraft building plants in the city which manufactures advanced warplanes for the Russian Defense Ministry, including Su-35 and Su-57 fighter jets.
Kim and Manturov saw the assembly complex for the Su-35 aircraft and the fifth-generation Su-57 aircraft. They also watched a demonstration flight of the Su-35.
Kim visited a facility producing Sukhoi SJ-100 passenger planes as well.
After accompanying Kim around the factories, Manturov said, “We see the potential for cooperation both in the field of aircraft manufacturing and in other industries.
“This is especially important for achieving the tasks facing our countries to achieve technological sovereignty,” he added.
On Saturday, September 16, 2023, Kim is scheduled to go to Russia’s port of Vladivostok where he is expected to see Russian Pacific Fleet warships and visit a university.
Shoigu Inspects Nuclear Submarine Modernisation In Eastern Russia
In another development, Russia’s defence ministry disclosed on Friday that Sergei Shoigu checked on the repair and modernisation of the Pacific Fleet’s nuclear submarines at a top military shipyard.
According to the ministry, Sergei Shoigu, Russia’s Defence Minister, checked construction of a floating docking complex and on how nuclear submarines are being repaired and modernised at the Zvezda plant in the town of Bolshoi Kamen.
Sergei Shoigu demanded the maximum use of Zvezda’s production facilities in order to complete the repair and modernization of submarines,” the defense ministry disclosed.
Shoigu also visited the Progress plant in the town of Arsenyev which produces Ka-52 military helicopters.
There, he emphasized the importance of improving combat capabilities of Ka-52M helicopters and protection of their pilots.
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