Vladimir Putin invites Kim Jong-un to Moscow

Russian president Vladimir Putin has invited North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to Moscow next year to mark the 70th anniversary of the Soviet defeat of Nazi Germany in World War Two, a Kremlin spokesman said.

It would be the North Korean premier’s first foreign visit since assuming power in the state in 2011. His personal envoy came to Moscow last month as part of efforts to improve relations.

"Yes, such an invitation was sent," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the state news agency TASS. Russia marks the former Soviet Union's World War Two victory every year on May 9th.

Moscow needs North Korean cooperation in boosting natural gas exports to South Korea as Gazprom wants to build a gas pipeline through North Korea to reach its southern neighbour.

Pyongyang is also seeking support from Russia, a permanent veto-wielding member of the UN Security Council, against international criticism over alleged human rights abuses and its nuclear programme.

The UN General Assembly committee dealing with human rights passed a resolution last month calling for the Security Council to consider referring North Korea to the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity.

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov also said North Korea is ready to resume stalled international talks on its nuclear programme.

North Korea, South Korea, Japan, China, Russia and the United States began talks in 2003 to rid the Korean peninsula of nuclear weapons, but they were suspended after Pyongyang tested nuclear devices in 2006 and 2009.

Reuters