Russian Vice Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko has reportedly said preparations are underway for a visit to Russia for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un within the year.

Reuters reported the Russian official’s remarks on Thursday, citing the country’s state-run TASS news agency.

Another Russian state news agency, Sputnik, reported that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was expected to visit Pyongyang to continue the strategic dialogue.

Meanwhile, Russian Ambassador to North Korea Alexander Matsegora told Russia’s state-run RIA Novosti news agency that Moscow shared with Kim details of its negotiations with Washington concerning a potential ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war.

The Russian diplomat said Sergei Shoigu, secretary of the Russian Security Council, who recently visited Pyongyang, briefed the North Korean leader on the Moscow-Washington dialogue, as well as the situation in Ukraine.