Geneva: Pak In-chol, chairman of North Korea's Supreme People's Assembly, engaged in discussions with counterparts from Russia and three additional nations during a global assembly of parliamentary leaders in Geneva, Switzerland. These talks were held on the sidelines of the World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, as reported by state media on Sunday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Pak met with various parliamentary leaders including Valentina Matvienko, the chairperson of Russia's Federation Council. Additionally, he held discussions with the heads of the Mongolian and Vietnamese assemblies and a deputy chairperson of the Lao parliament. These meetings occurred during Pak's attendance at the conference from last Tuesday to Thursday, as noted by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

During discussions with Pak, Matvienko highlighted the significant "close friendship" between North Korean and Russian leaders. She described this relationship as a "fundamental element" that has historically elevated bilateral ties. The KCNA further reported her statements regarding the enduring nature of Russia-North Korea relations, which have been strengthened since the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership treaty's signing. Matvienko also expressed Russia's continued solidarity with North Korea.

Although China's top legislator Zhao Leji was present at the global event, there were no talks between him and Pak. This absence of dialogue could suggest that bilateral ties between China and North Korea have not fully recovered, potentially due to Pyongyang's alignment with Russia amid the Ukraine conflict.

The World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, hosted every five years since 2000 by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, saw consistent participation from North Korea. South Korea's National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik also attended this year's event, but he did not meet with Pak either.