Russia's Ambassador to Pyongyang Alexander Matsegora has never made face-to-face contact with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un since he began his service in the North five years ago, a U.S. broadcaster reported Wednesday.
During an interview with the Russian news agency Interfax, in Pyongyang on Jan. 10, Matsegora said he has not made any one-on-one contact with Kim since he arrived in the North's capital as ambassador in 2014, Radio Free Asia said.
But indirect contacts with Kim are being made by verbal messages or letters, the envoy was cited as saying.
The diplomat noted his North Korean dialogue partners are Ri Su-yong, vice chairman of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party, and Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho, adding that they are his highest-level partners in terms of foreign affairs, the broadcaster said.
Matsegora presented his credentials to the North's titular head of state Kim Yong-nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, in March 2015.