Russia says DPRK sent positive signal on Kim visit in May

Choe Ryong-hae (R), secretary of the Workers' Party of the DPRK and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Nov 18, 2014. [Photo/IC]

MOSCOW - Russia received a positive initial signal from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) after President Vladimir Putin invited its leader Kim Jong Un to attend anniversary celebrations of World War II victory, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

The trip would be Kim's first foreign visit since becoming the leader of the DPRK in 2011.

Asked at a news conference on Wednesday about Pyongyang's response to the Russian invitation, Lavrov replied: "The first signal was positive". 

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last month that Kim had been invited to the World War II victory anniversary which Russia marks every year on May 9.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has received a special envoy of Kim Jong-un in last November.

Choe Ryong-hae, member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau and secretary of the Central Committee of the Worker's Party of Korea, has handed Putin a message from Kim Jong-un, according to Kremlin spokesman.