Dates for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s visit to Russia are under consideration, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov told reporters on Friday.

"Dates for the visit are under consideration, work on the matter continues," he said in response to a question concerning Kim Jong-un’s visit to Russia.

According to the Russian deputy foreign minister, he will hold a meeting with his North Korean counterpart Sin Hong-chol in Moscow next week. "Consultations on bilateral relations will be held. This is a planned meeting included in the two ministries’ consultations schedule. I expect to discuss the entire range of bilateral issues with my counterpart," Morgulov added.

Russian Federation Council (upper house of parliament) Speaker Valentina Matviyenko said earlier following her visit to Pyongyang that the North Korean leader was willing to visit Russia in the near future. Last week, Russian Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov confirmed that a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un may take place before the end of the year.