SEOUL: Syrian President Bashar al-Assadlink> said he plans tovisit North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-unlink>, Pyongyang’s state mediareported on Sunday, potentially becoming the first head of state to meetKim inside the isolated country.

“I am going to visit the DPRK and meet… Kim Jong-un,” Assad said, theNorth’s state-run KCNA news agency reported, using the abbreviated versionof the country’s official name.

The announcement came as anticipation mounts for a historic nuclear summitbetween Kim and US President Donald Trump in Singapore on June 12,link> following awhirlwind round of diplomacy.

“The world welcomes the remarkable events in the Korean peninsula broughtabout recently by the outstanding political calibre and wise leadershipof… Kim Jong-un,” KCNA cited Assad as saying during a meeting with NorthKorean Ambassador Mun Jong-namlink> on Wednesday.