Russian President Vladimir Putin is reportedly preparing to make a trip to North Korea amid the two countries' increasing military cooperation.

Speaking to the state-run RIA Novosti news agency on Friday, local time, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the Russian leader has a valid invitation for an official visit to the North and that preparations are under way. The spokesperson said the dates for the visit will be announced at an appropriate time.

Following a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia' Far East last September, Putin had accepted Kim's invitation to visit Pyongyang.

In January this year, North Korean foreign minister Choe Son-hui visited Russia for discussions on the Russian leader's visit.

Should Putin visit the North within the year, it would be his first in 24 years since he made a trip in July 2000 to meet then-North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.