South Korean president starts first state visit to Russia

South Korean President Moon Jae-in has started his state visit to Russia today. The central point on the visit’s agenda is his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin scheduled for Friday. 

Today, Moon Jae-in will meet with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

"The Russian prime minister and the South Korean president will discuss the current state of and prospects for further development of trade-an-economic and investment cooperation between Russia and South Korea with a focus on the implementation of large-scale joint projects in the energy sector, in the areas of industry, high technologies, transport and others," the press service of the Russian government said.

"Top-level talks will be held in Moscow on June 22. It is planned to discuss topical issues of the development of Russian-South Korean ties in the political, trade-and-economic and humanitarian spheres. The leaders will exchange views on regional problems, first of all, on the situation on the Korean Peninsula. It is planned to sign a number of bilateral documents," TASS cited the Kremlin press service as saying.

During his stay in Moscow, Moon Jae-in is expected to deliver a speech at the Russian State Duma lower parliament house.

The South Korean leader also plans to visit Russia’s southern city of Rostov-on-Don to support his country’s team that is to face Mexico in a 2018 FIFA World Cup group stage match.

It will be Moon Jae-in’s first visit to Russia after his taking the presidential office in May 2017 and the first state visit by a South Korean president to Russia since 1999.