North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects a nuclear weaponisation project at an unknown location in North Korea. Photo: AFP
By Kelly Ng for the BBC
Kim Jong Un showed off North Korea's latest weapons to Russia's defence chief Sergei Shoigu on Wednesday.
Pyongyang invited the Russian delegation led by Shoigu as well one from China.
They will attend Pyongyang's celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War, marked typically by massive military parades.
The weapons on display included the Hwasong intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
Successfully tested in April, it is believed to be the country's first ICBM to use solid propellants, which makes it quicker to launch than liquid-fuel ones.
The delegations visit for North Korea's Victory Day - as the 1953 Korean armistice is called in the North - is expected to end on Thursday with an extensive military parade.
The Koreas are technically still at war because no peace agreement was reached when the Korean War ended in 1953.
Both Russia and China are long time allies of North Korea.
Also on show were two new drone designs, including one resembling the primary offensive strike drone used by the US Air Force, according to NK News, a specialist site focusing on North Korea.
The friendly tour comes amid accusations that Pyongyang is supplying Russia with arms for use in its war in Ukraine - a claim that both Pyongyang and Moscow deny.
North Korea's KCNA said the two men discussed "matters of mutual concern" in the fields of national defence and on the international security environment.
Kim had a "friendly talk" with Shoigu, who handed him "an autographed letter" from Russian President Vladimir Putin, KCNA said, adding that he had later called North Korea's military the most powerful in the world.
The visiting Chinese delegation also visited with a personal letter from President Xi Jinping for Kim.
Meanwhile, the Chinese delegation led by politburo member Li Hongzhong, also presented Kim "a personal letter sent by [China's leader] Xi Jinping".
Kim reportedly told Li that "the Korean people will never forget the fact that the brave soldiers of the Chinese People's Volunteers shed blood to bring about the war victory".
Beijing had sent troops in the autumn of 1950 to support North Korea in the war against South Korea. The then Soviet Union also supported North Korea in the war.
Since the collapse of the USSR in 1991, Russia has remained a natural ally for North Korea because of their mutual dislike for the US. Washington has, in fact, accused North Korea of providing military aid to Russia in its war in Ukraine.
The Russian and Chinese visits also mark Kim's first hosting of foreign guests since the pandemic. The last time Pyongyang invited foreign government delegates for a military parade was in February 2018.
Some analysts say the inclusion of Chinese and Russian envoys in this year's "Victory Day" parade - as the 1953 Korean armistice is called in the North - hints at a possible loosening of Covid restrictions.
This comes weeks after images of North Koreans walking around without masks were shown on state media.
The reclusive country had sealed itself off from all trade and diplomatic ties in early 2020, even with Russia and China, its main economic and political partners.
- This story was first published by the BBC