North Korea and Russia, both teetering on the edge of diplomatic isolation for one reason or another, are forging closer ties.
Choe Ryong-hae, the second most powerful man in North Korea, met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday.
The Kremlin said Choe gave Putin a personal letter from leader Kim Jong-un but did not elaborate what the two talked about.
Choe, who is on an eight day trip to Russia, is scheduled to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday.
