During the visit of the Russian delegation led by Vladimir Putin to North Korea, an interesting moment was reached, which the guests did not like.
In the negotiation hall in Pyongyang, the Russian delegation was expelled, and the reason is rooted in the different protocol procedures of the two countries.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defense Minister Andrei Belousov had taken their seats when North Korean diplomats told them they had to get out. The reason: according to Pyongyang's protocol, state leaders Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin must sit down at the table first.
In Russia, the practice is exactly the opposite. In Russia, it is customary for the president and other heads of state to enter the hall only after all participants have already taken their seats, arranged documents and prepared for the start of the meeting. This procedure is convenient and familiar to the members of the Russian delegation.
North Korea, however, has a different protocol. According to local rules, the delegation enters the hall only after the heads of state have entered the room. It is the right of each country to establish its own traditions and rules of protocol.
Russian ministers were kicked out of the negotiation hall in Pyongyang
Russian ministers who entered the negotiation hall were kicked out by a North Korean official to let Kim Jong-un enter first.
When asked by the North Korean official to "step into the hall," a member of the… pic.twitter.com/h4fTHmRy4P— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) June 19, 2024
The Russian delegation, with a puzzled look, complied with their hosts' request, asking beforehand why they had entered in the first place and had not been told earlier that they had to wait for Putin.
Russian President Putin visited North Korea to ask for more weapons for his war against Ukraine. Moscow and Pyongyang also signed a self-defense pact. The strategic partnership pact signed by the leaders of Russia and North Korea includes a mutual defense clause in which each side agrees to help the other repel external aggression, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. "The signed comprehensive partnership agreement provides for, among other things, mutual assistance in the event of aggression against one of the parties to this agreement," Putin said.