Wonsan: Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has arrived in North Korea for discussions with his North Korean counterpart, marking a further deepening of the bilateral relationship between the two nations.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Lavrov's plane landed in Wonsan, an eastern coastal city in North Korea. Wonsan has recently been the focus of Pyongyang's efforts to bolster its tourism industry as a means to secure foreign currency, with a coastal tourist zone having been opened there on July 1.

Lavrov's visit to North Korea is set to last until Sunday, after which he will travel to China to participate in a foreign ministerial meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states. During his stay in North Korea, Lavrov is scheduled to hold talks with his North Korean counterpart, Choe Son-hui.

The North's Korean Central News Agency confirmed Lavrov's arrival and mentioned that discussions between the two countries' foreign ministers would take place. However, the agency did not provide further specifics about the nature of the talks.

This visit is part of a broader strengthening of ties between Moscow and Pyongyang, following the signing of a "comprehensive strategic partnership" treaty between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during a summit in Pyongyang in June of the previous year.