Russian President Vladimir Putin, during a meeting today at the Kremlin with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, stated that relations between Moscow and Pyongyang are developing “as expected.”

Putin recalled his recent meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in China last September.

“In Beijing, we discussed in detail our relations and their development prospects. Everything is proceeding according to plan, in the best possible way. Please convey my best wishes to the president of state affairs (leader Kim Jong Un),” the Russian president told the North Korean foreign minister, according to a video released by the Kremlin.