North Korea's leader has vowed closer ties with Moscow saying his country would "always be with Russia" as President Vladimir Putin hosted Kim Jong Un at a Far East spaceport.
Putin said Moscow could help North Korea build satellites and hinted the two countries might also discuss military cooperation, saying he was "very glad" to see Kim in Russia.
Kim told Putin that North Korea would make bilateral ties with Russia its "number one priority" and that Russia was facing down "hegemonist forces" seeking to undermine its security.
"We have always expressed full and unconditional support for all the measures taken by the Russian government, and I take this opportunity again to affirm that we will always be with Russia," Kim said, according to footage broadcast on Russian TV.
Long deliberations
Their one-on-one talks as well as discussions with delegations lasted around two hours before the leaders proceeded to an official dinner in Kim's honour, Russian state-run news agencies said.
US officials and experts have said Russia is interested in buying North Korean ammunition to use in the conflict in Ukraine -- an arms deal that would defy global sanctions.
The two leaders met on Wednesday at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia's Far East, with footage released by the Kremlin showing the pair shaking hands enthusiastically as Kim arrived.
The two then toured assembly and launch facilities for the Angara and Soyuz-2 space rocket launchers before sitting down for talks with their delegations.
Fired missiles
While Kim was in Russia, Pyongyang fired two ballistic missiles on Wednesday, the South Korean military said, the latest in a string of sanctions-busting tests.
Experts say Russia will likely use the talks to seek artillery shells and antitank missiles from North Korea, which wants advanced satellite and nuclear-powered submarine technology in return.
"We'll talk about all the issues, without haste. There is time," Putin said, when asked by reporters whether military cooperation would be on the agenda.
Kim, who travelled overland to Russia in his bullet-proof train, was accompanied by an entourage that suggested the summit would have a strong military focus.
High calibre delegation
Among the top military officials accompanying Kim were Korean People's Army Marshal Pak Jong Chon and Munitions Industry Department Director Jo Chun Ryong, according to the North's state media.
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu took part in the talks with Kim, as did Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, images on Russian state television showed.
Ahead of the announcement of the talks, Russian news agencies published images of Kim and Putin touring the vast space centre.
"The leader of the DPRK shows great interest in rocket technology, and they are trying to develop (their presence in) space," Putin said, referring to North Korea by its official name.
Strategic ties
Kim thanked Putin for inviting him to visit, despite the Russian leader's "busy schedule".
Kim had earlier stressed the trip -- his first post-pandemic foreign travel -- showed North Korea was "prioritising the strategic importance" of its Russia ties.
The meeting at the cosmodrome is symbolic, especially as Pyongyang failed twice recently in its bid to put a military spy satellite into or bit, experts said.
The White House warned last week that North Korea would "pay a price" if it supplies Russia with weaponry for the conflict in Ukraine.
