North Korea state media reported today that Kim Jong Un’s special envoy Choe Ryong Hae met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow on Tuesday.

The visit comes during warming Russian-DPRK ties and speculation that Choe was sent to Russia to encourage Putin to oppose a resolution concerning North Korea’s human rights situation. North Korea state media reported on the exchanging of pleasantries between Choe and Putin.

Putin was quoted as saying the “DPRK are close neighbors” with whom Russia has a “long-standing tradition of friendship and cooperation,” while Choe reportedly discussed “expanding and developing”