A senior Russian diplomat said on Thursday that Russia is ready to send another batch of coronavirus test kits to North Korea.

Speaking to the Russian state-run TASS news agency, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov said that if Pyongyang is interested, Moscow is ready to send another batch of those test systems. 

Morgulov said the first batch of kits for rapid coronavirus testing was delivered to North Korea in February this year.

Amid speculations that the North had cases of the virus, North Korean authorities have claimed that not a single case has been confirmed and the country is completely free of COVID-19. 

Meanwhile, the deputy minister said Russia has yet to have an in-person meeting with North Korea's new Foreign Minister Ri Son-kwon due to the pandemic. He added he will begin to seek contact with the new leadership of the North Korean foreign ministry as soon as the situation improves.

[Photo : YONHAP News]