North Korea welcomed the visiting Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, at a dinner banquet that put the two sides' friendly relations center stage.

The North's state-run Korean Central News Agency(KCNA) said Lavrov, who landed in Pyongyang on Wednesday, was greeted by North Korean foreign minister Choe Son-hui and Russian Ambassador Alexander Matsegora.

At the banquet, Choe assessed two-way ties to have begun to develop into an “unbreakable” camaraderie and future-oriented relationship under the strategic determination and precise leadership of the two countries' leaders.

She said the two sides are set to agree on ways to promote the welfare of both peoples during Lavrov's visit by upgrading and expanding the comprehensive and constructive ties under the leaders' historical agreement last month.

Lavrov, for his part, said the mutual support and solidarity between Pyongyang and Moscow holds a special meaning amid an international political situation that has been complicated by the U.S.-led hegemony.

Calling the North a real autonomous state that continues to defend its sovereignty from the pressures of Western nations, he added that Russia fully supports all of the regime's policies designed to maintain autonomy and developmental interests.

The two ministers are expected to discuss the enforcement of previous agreements between their leaders during a summit last month, as well as Russian President Vladimir Putin's reciprocal visit to the North.

[Photo : YONHAP News]