Syria's Bashar al-Assaad plans visit to North Korea

London: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad plans to make a state visit to North Korea, the North's state news agency reported.

It would be the first time North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has hosted a head of state since assuming power in 2011.

He has undertaken a flurry of diplomatic activity recently, meeting China's president in May, and is expected to attend a summit with Donald Trump this month.

Syria, an ally of the North, has made no comment on the reported plan.

The two countries have been accused of co-operating on chemical weapons. But both nations deny the accusations.

No date for the visit was mentioned by the North Korea's KCNA news agency. It quoted Mr Assad as saying on Wednesday: "I am going to visit [North Korea] and meet Kim Jong-un."

His comments are believed to have come when he received the credentials of North Korean ambassador Mun Jong-nam.

Assad was also reported as saying that he was sure Mr Kim would "achieve the final victory and realise the reunification of Korea without fail".

The North established diplomatic relations with Syria in 1966 and had sent troops and weapons during the Arab-Israeli war in October 1973.

A UN report leaked in February accused the North of making 40 shipments to Syria between 2012 and 2017 of materials including acid-resistant tiles, valves and pipes that could be used to make chemical weapons.

Assad has been accused of using chemical weapons during the nation's seven-year civil war but Damascus has consistently denied having any such stockpiles.