Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang on Thursday.

Lavrov is on a two-day trip to North Korea that started on Wednesday, his first visit to the country in five years.

The Russian foreign ministry says Lavrov's meeting with North Korea's top leader lasted about one hour.

Kim has not made a public appearance for about three weeks. His talks with Lavrov that comes after Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu's meeting with him in July appears to be a show of hospitality by the North Korean leader.

Lavrov met his North Korean counterpart Choe Son Hui also on Thursday.

Lavrov referred to last month's summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un. Kim visited Russia in September for their first summit in four years.

Lavrov said relations between the two countries can be said to have reached a new strategic level after the summit. He said his visit offers the opportunity to review agreements made at the summit to ensure their full implementation. His remarks are understood to hint at cooperation in military and economic fields.

The US government says North Korea has delivered ammunition and other military supplies to Russia since last month. The US is concerned that Pyongyang is likely seeking advanced military technology from Russia, such as those related to ballistic missiles.

Observers say Russia apparently aims to show its stance against the United States by Lavrov's visit to North Korea and meeting with Kim, following Putin's talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Wednesday.