By Lee Hana

President Moon Jae-in will make a state visit to Russia at the end of this month from June 21 to 23.

Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Kim Eui-kyeom announced in a briefing on June 8 that President Moon will visit Russia for three days at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

During the visit, the two heads of state will hold a summit and discuss measures to boost bilateral cooperation, as well as North Korean denuclearization, and the establishment of peace on the Korean Peninsula.

This will be the first time in 19 years that a Korean president makes an official state visit to Russia. The last visit was made by former President Kim Dae-jung in 1999. The two leaders will be holding their third meeting since President Moon's inauguration last year.

During his visit, President Moon will make a speech before the Russian Federation, the first Korean President to do so. President Moon is also scheduled to meet with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, and will also meet with both South Koreans and ethnic Koreans living in Russia who have helped further Korean-Russian relations.

On June 23, the president will head to the southern city of Rostov-on-Don where the 2018 FIFA World Cup match between Korea and Mexico will take place. There, the president will cheer for Team Korea.

"We expect the summit to expand cooperation with Russia, a major partner for Korea in implementing its New Northern Policy. This will also be a good opportunity for the two leaders to communicate their standpoints and to strengthen their partnership during a time when peace is being established on the Korean Peninsula," said the spokesperson.

hlee10@korea.kr