Key Points

A Russian delegation led by Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, has arrived in Pyongyang to attend celebrations marking the key party anniversary, Russia's Tass news agency said.

In a separate report, the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported that a delegation led by Vietnam's Communist Party chief To Lam arrived in Pyongyang earlier in the day.

Lam's State visit, which marks the first visit to North Korea by Vietnam's top leader since 2007, also comes as the two countries celebrate the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic ties this year, the VNA said.

The Vietnamese leader subsequently held talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, during which they agreed to strengthen cooperation and elevate bilateral ties to a higher level, Yonhap News Agency reported.

They also pledged to expand high-level exchanges across the party, government, assembly and regional levels, and to jointly explore areas for cooperation.

Also arriving in Pyongyang on Thursday was Chinese Premier Li Qiang, according to China's Xinhua News Agency.

Li made the trip to attend celebrations marking the 80th anniversary and pay an official goodwill visit to North Korea, Xinhua reported, adding the Chinese official noted how the two countries have enjoyed a "profound traditional friendship" as socialist neighbors.

China's foreign ministry earlier said Li will pay an official visit to North Korea from Thursday to Saturday, leading a party and government delegation.

North Korea, which celebrates the party founding anniversary on October 10 each year, is widely expected to stage a large-scale military parade marking the date as early as Thursday, according to sources.

Meanwhile, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has vowed to "eliminate" movements that undermine the authority of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and called for strict discipline, the North's state media reported on Thursday.

Kim made the remark during a visit to the Party Founding Museum in Pyongyang the previous day, ahead of the 80th founding anniversary of the ruling party, Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

"We should continue to firmly consolidate strict order and sound discipline climate within the Party, while giving precedence to the process of finding out and eliminating in time all sorts of elements and acts that undermine the Party's leadership prestige," Kim was quoted as saying in an English-language speech transcript carried by the KCNA.

Kim called for a change in the attitude of party officials and warned them to refrain from "evil practices such as ignorance, incompetence, irresponsibility, self-protection, formalism and expediency, as well as arbitrariness, high-handedness and abuse of power."

- IANS