Russia’s parliamentary chief and the patriotic pop singer Shaman arrived in Pyongyang early Thursday to join celebrations for the 80th anniversary of North Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule, the State Duma and DPRK state media reported.

The first delegation led by Vyacheslav Volodin, chairman of the Duma, is set to have a “series of meetings” and take part in the celebrations, the lower house of the Russian parliament said on its website.

Volodin was welcomed at the airport by DPRK honor guards and top officials: Choe Ryong Hae, head of the DPRK’s rubberstamp parliament’s standing committee; his deputy Kang