MOSCOW -- North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho will take part in the ministerial meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement to be held this week in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, diplomatic sources said Tuesday.
The two-day meeting, which will open on Thursday, will prepare for next year's NAM summit, which Azerbaijan will host. It comes after a meeting of senior officials with the decades-old group of 120 countries from Tuesday through Wednesday.
North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho (Yonhap)
According to the website of the conference, the ministerial conference themed "Promoting International Peace and Security for Sustainable Development" will bring together foreign ministers of NAM participating states, representatives of observer states and countries invited as special guests.
Ri is expected to attend the conference ahead of his planned visit to Moscow around mid-April. Citing sources at the Russian foreign ministry, Russia's RIA Novosti news agency reported last month that Ri will make a visit to Russia around mid-April.
Established in Yugoslavia in 1961, NAM is a group of states that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc, with the number of its members and observer states reaching 120 and 17, respectively, in 2012. North Korea acceded to the group in 1976.
Ri's attendance at the conference and visit to Russia are seen as part of the North's efforts to influence the international community and seek support as the country is expected to hold separate summits with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on April 27 and with US President Donald Trump by the end of May. (Yonhap)