Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel Meets North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un In Pyongyang

NK News: Cuba, North Korea reaffirm historic ties at first summit in thirty years

DPRK state media hails two nations' "special friendship" and "joint struggle" against imperialism

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel arrived in Pyongyang on Sunday for the first state visit by a Cuban leader to North Korea in over thirty years, joining the country’s leader Kim Jong Un in condemning the “imperialists’ policy of aggression,” DPRK state media reported on Monday.

Kim greeted Díaz-Canel at Pyongyang International Airport with a ceremonial welcome, which included a surprising backdrop of painted portraits of the two leaders – a first for the Kim Jong Un era.

The meeting represents Kim’s eighth summit with a foreign head of state this year.

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WNU Editor: Aside from the speeches on their "joint struggle against imperialism", and maybe a secret arms sale to Cuba, nothing is going to come out of this "summit".

More News On Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel Meeting North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un In Pyongyang

Cuban president meets North Korea’s Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang -- AP
N. Korea welcomes Cuban president to Pyongyang -- AFP
North Korea unveils likely first official Kim Jong Un portrait at Cuba summit -- NK News
Kim Jong-Un Welcomes Cuban President to North Korea -- Havana Times

North Korea Strengthens Ties with Cuba

North Korea's Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho leaves a bilateral meeting with his China's counterpart Wang Yi, at the sidelines of the ASEAN foreign ministers meeting in Vientiane, Laos July 25, 2016. REUTERS/Jorge Silva

Newsweek: New Cold War? North Korea Strengthens Ties with Cuba After Threatening Nuclear Attack on U.S.

Pyongyang hopes to rekindle a Cold War-era friendship.

Korean Central News Agency announced Friday that North Korea’s Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho and his delegation will be traveling to Cuba, in hopes of revamping international support amid sanctions and widespread condemnation of Pyongyang’s nuclear missile tests.

The Washington Post reported that North Korea’s visit to Cuba occurs as Pyongyang’s largest trading partners announced they would halt trade with the isolated nation. Singapore—North Korea’s seventh largest trading partner–indicated it would sever its trade with the country Thursday, while the Philippines—Pyongyang’s fifth largest trading partner—is following suit.

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WNU Editor: The North Koreans are looking for allies, and customers for their military products. Cuba has a history of buying North Korean arms .... N Korean ship seized with Cuban weapons returns to Cuba (BBC).

North Korea Demands That Panama Free It's Seized Ship With Cuban Arms

Cuban Missile Crisis II? Not Exactly, Say Weapons Experts -- Nick Thompson, CNN

(CNN) -- The bizarre case of a North Korea-bound ship being seized and searched following a violent struggle on the Panama Canal sounds like a deleted scene from the Cold War.

But officials fearing some sort of modern-day Cuban Missile Crisis could only have been relieved to find out that what Cuba describes as an assortment of antique Soviet weapons discovered aboard the ship -- buried under 255,000 sacks of brown sugar -- are more suited to a Cold War museum than they are to being used as weapons in the 21st century.

The ship, which is still being searched by Panamanian officials, contained 240 tons of Russian-made defensive weapons including two anti-aircraft missile systems, nine missiles in parts and spares and two MiG-21 jets, according to Cuban officials. Panama hasn't yet detailed what has been seized.

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More News On Panama Seizing A North Korean Ship Filled With Weapons

North Korea demands Panama free seized ship carrying arms -- Reuters
North Korea urges Panama to release weapons ship -- BBC
Panama Raid Raises Questions About Weapons’ Fate -- Wall Street Journal
North Korea demands release of ship seized in Panama Canal carrying arms from Cuba -- Sydney Morning Herald
North Korea to Panama: Release our ship, crew -- CNN
North Korea calls for release of crew detained after ship caught carrying Cuban weapons -- FOX News
NKorea To Panama: Free Detained Freighter And Crew -- NPR
Panama Seeks UN Inspectors for Seized North Korean Ship -- Bloomberg
Panama calls in U.N. to inspect North Korean arms ship -- Reuters
Panama holds North Korean ship with suspected military cargo -- Washington Post/AP
Panama Finds Suspected Weapons on N. Korean Ship -- ABC News/AP
Panama says North Korean arms shipment a matter for the UN -- FOX News/AFP
N. Korean ship mystery: Panama says it found missile parts behind bags of sugar -- Miami Herald/McClacthy news
Concealed cargo in North Korean ship is missile parts, Jane's says -- L.A. Times
US 'Strongly Supports' Panama Inspection of North Korean Ship -- Voice of America
Panama Interdicts North Korean Ship Smuggling Military Hardware -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Panama Seizes North Korea-Flagged Ship For Weapons -- New York Times
North Korean ship with 'military cargo' held by Panama -- BBC
Panama's president tweets pictures of missiles found hidden in North Korean ship's sugar cargo after it sailed from Cuba -- Daily Mail
Panama claims to have grabbed N.Korean-flagged ship -- CBS/AP
Panama Detains North Korea-Flagged Ship -- Wall Street Journal
Panama seizes North Korean ship carrying missiles -- USA Today
Panama finds weapons hidden in North Korean ship arriving from Cuba -- CNN
Panama intercepts North Korean ship -- Deutsche Welle
Cuba's Brown Sugar of Mass Destruction -- James Gibney, Bloomberg

Update #1: This is interesting .... Another North Korean Ship Made Cuba Run in 2012 -- New York Times
Update #2: A glance at seizures of North Korea weapons shipments -- CNN

Cuba Admits That Weapons Aboard A North Korean Ship Seized By Panama Are Theirs

North Korean Ship Yields Worrisome Cargo -- Wall Street Journal

Panama Finds What U.S. Suspects Are Missile-System Components Originating in Cuba; Havana Calls the Gear 'Obsolete'

Panamanian authorities detained a North Korean-flagged ship and its crew as they headed for North Korea from Cuba carrying what U.S. officials suspect are components of a surface-to-air missile system.

U.S. officials said the intercepted cargo is of potential worry if it indicates a growing bilateral arms trade between North Korea and Cuba.

Analysts said Cuba's role in the arms shipment could derail efforts to improve relations with the U.S.

Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli on Monday night said intelligence information had indicated the North Korean-flagged Chong Chon Gang might be carrying drugs, but that "containers with sophisticated missiles" were found under containers of sugar.

U.S. officials later said that according to preliminary information, there were no missiles aboard the ship.

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More News On Panama Seizing A North Korean Ship Filled With Weapons From Cuba

Cuba calls weapons on North Korean ship 'obsolete' -- USA Today/AP
Missile parts found on North Korean ship are claimed by Cuba -- L.A. Times
Cuba says loaded seized North Korean cargo ship with 'obsolete' weapons -- Reuters
Cuba Acknowledges N. Korean Ship Carried Its 'Obsolete' Weapons -- NPR
Cuba confirms arms bound for North Korea on ship seized in Panama -- The Guardian
Cuba claims ownership of missile parts found on North Korean ship in Panama -- The Telegraph
North Korea missiles: Cache of 'obsolete' Cuban weapons seized from North Korean ship -- Christian Science Monitor
Cuba Admits Its Missile Parts Found on N. Korean Ship -- Voice of America
Seized N Korean ship: Cuban weapons on board -- BBC
Cuba claims as own weapons found on N. Korea ship -- FOX News/AFP
Cuba Was Just Sending Those Missiles to North Korea for 'Repairs' -- Atlantic Wire
North Korean Ship Has Been in Trouble Before -- Wall Street Journal