Moon heads to meet Putin

Seoul, June 21: South Korean President Moon Jae-in left on Thursday for a three-day visit to Russia, during which he will meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to discuss recent thaw in ties with North Korea and denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Apart from meeting Putin, Moon is also expected to meet Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev during his visit, which would be the first by a South Korean President to Russia in 19 years, Efe news reported. Moon is set to speak in front of the State Duma — the Lower House of the Russian Parliament — after arriving in Moscow, his office said in a statement. His speech is expected to be focused on strengthening bilateral relations and the current thaw on the Korean Peninsula. (IANS)