A senior North Korean diplomat has left for Russia for talks with his Russian counterpart, North Korea's state news agency reported Saturday.

North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Sin Hong-chol is set to meet with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov, the Korean Central News Agency said without providing further details.



The meeting comes amid speculation that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un could visit Moscow for his first summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Morgulov has said that the date of the summit is being coordinated, according to Russian state news agency Tass.

Last week, Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov confirmed that the possibility of holding a summit before the end of the year is being discussed, Tass said. (Yonhap)