Russia's Interfax news agency says North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Pyongyang on Thursday. No details of their talks were released. 

Lavrov arrived in the North Korean capital earlier in the day and met with North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho.

Russia's TASS news agency quoted Lavrov as saying after a meeting with Ri that denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula cannot be achieved through a single meeting and requires phased solutions. He also said the Korean Peninsula issues cannot be resolved completely without the lifting of sanctions on the North. 

It's the first time in nine years for Russia's top diplomat to visit North Korea. The visit comes as Pyongyang prepares for a summit with the United States.  

[Photo : YONHAP News]