Security preparations were underway in the Russian Pacific port of Vladivostok on Wednesday (April 24) ahead of a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Putin and Kim are expected to meet for the first time on Thursday (April 25) on Russky Island in Vladivostok. The summit will take place on the campus of Far East Federal University where security has been tightened since last week.
The sports complex at the university was closed on Tuesday (April 23) and workers were seen bringing in pieces of furniture, a Reuters TV crew at the site reported. A white tent had been erected next to the sports complex.
Security guards at the entrance to the campus were stopping and searching vehicles as they drove in. There were no signs of preparation at Vladivostok railway station.
Vladivostok is the closest major Russian city to the short stretch of border that Russia and North Korea share and can be reached from the border by train, Kim's preferred mode of international transport.
The visit is part of Kim's effort to build foreign support after the breakdown of a second U.S.-North Korea summit in Vietnam in February meant no relief on sanctions for North Korea, analysts said. (Reuters)
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