A Russian troupe has performed the ballet "Sleeping Beauty" in Pyongyang, North Korea's state media reported Thursday, the latest in a series of growing exchanges between Pyongyang and Moscow following a rare summit of their leaders in September. The troupe for the Primorsky branch of the Mariinsky Theatre in Vladivostok put on the performance at the Mansudae Art Theater in Pyongyang the previous day, the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. The troupe is part of a cultural delegation led by Russia's Vice Culture Minister Andrei Maluishev that arrived in Pyongyang on Monday. The KCNA quoted Russian officials, including Maluishev and Oleg Kozhemyako, the governor of the far eastern region of Primorsky Krai that borders North Korea, as saying that the performance was possible thanks to their leaders. North Korea and Russia have been deepening cooperation in a wide range of areas following the summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin last year. Earlier t his week, Kim sent a congratulatory message to Putin on his reelection, claiming the summit brought a "historic" turning point in bilateral relations, and vowed to strengthen their ties. Source: Yonhap News Agency
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