Long-announced visits by Russian President Vladimir Putin to North Korea and Vietnam are at an advanced planning stage, state media cited Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko as saying on Thursday in Moscow.
Speaking on the fringes of a Russia-China conference, Rudenko did not give a date. There was also no confirmation that Putin could be travelling to Vietnam as early as June.
When asked how far the plans had progressed, Rudenko said they were "at an advanced stage."
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had previously said that Putin was planning to travel to North Korea and Vietnam.
North Korea's ruler Kim Jong Un invited Putin to the neighbouring country during his visit to Russia in September.
Putin and his counterpart had also emphasized their willingness to intensify cooperation in the field of military technology.
The United States accuses North Korea of supporting Putin in his war against Ukraine with weapons and ammunition. At last year's meeting, Kim expressed his conviction that Russia would win the war, which he described as a "fight against imperialism."
