Report: North Korea's Supreme People's Assembly to visit Moscow

Sept. 25 (UPI) -- A North Korean delegation of the Supreme People's Assembly is to visit Russia in late October, according to a Russian press report.

Representatives of Pyongyang's de facto parliament, 12 in total, could visit Moscow Oct. 20-23, upon the invitation of Valentina Matviyenko, a Russian senator from the city of St. Petersburg, Ria Novosti reported Wednesday.

The North Koreans are scheduled to meet with members of the State Duma, which is the lower house, and the Federation Council, which is the upper house of the Federal Assembly. They will also visit the foreign ministry, according to the report.

The purpose of the North Korean visit is to reciprocate trips by Russian officials. Matviyenko visited North Korea in September 2018, and a delegation from the Federation Council traveled to North Korea in March.

During her visit in 2018, the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the North Korean regime, Matviyenko met with Kim Jong Un and delivered a letter from President Vladimir Putin.

In March, the Federation Council's delegation marked the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Russia-North Korea economic and cultural cooperation agreement.

Russia and North Korea have outwardly signaled closer and friendly ties, but tensions recently spiked at sea because of North Korean incursions in Russia's territorial waters, according to Russian claims.

Last week a North Korean fisherman died in Russian custody following clashes with Russian border guards at sea.

North Korea also maintains close relations with China.

Radio Free Asia reported Tuesday North Korea's consulate in the Chinese border city of Dandong is reducing its office space.

The report did not indicate whether financial difficulties were driving the North Korean decision, but it mentioned the North Koreans were renting out the third floor of a three-story building in a possible bid to increase rental income.