Moon meets Putin in Vladivostok next week

South Korean President Moon Jae-in is set to visit Russia next week for a bilateral summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other heads of state, as well as a regional forum aimed at boosting economic cooperation in Northeast Asia that includes Russia’s Far East, an official from Seoul’s presidential office said Friday.

The president will depart Wednesday for Vladivostok, where he will attend the Eastern Economic Forum, according to spokesman Park Soo-hyun.Shortly after his arrival on a two-day visit, the Moon will hold bilateral talks with Putin on a wide range of issues that will include North Korea and its recent missile provocations.

The North staged nine missile launches since the South Korean president took office in May.

The Moon-Putin meeting will be the second of its kind since Moon’s inauguration. The two briefly met on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit held in Hamburg, Germany, in early July.

“After arriving on Sept. 6, the president will have many important schedules, such as bilateral and expanded summit talks with President Putin, a joint press conference and a ceremony marking the signing of important agreements between the two countries,” Park told a press briefing.

On Thursday, Moon will hold a bilateral summit with Mongolian President Khaltmaagiin Battulga for discussions on various issues that will include ways to improve the countries’ relationship. He is also expected to hold bilateral talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during his two-day trip. Yonhap