Kim invited them to the office building of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea on Monday. That venue is known as the equivalent of the Oval Room at the White House and was also the venue for Kim's summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in September.

The Korean Central News Agency said the leaders of North Korea and Cuba briefed each other on the situations of their countries and talked about "successes and experience gained in socio-economic development."

They shared "honest and sincere views on various issues in the field of party activities and socialist constructions" of the two sides, the security conditions on the Korean Peninsula and global issues, KCNA added.

Also discussed was how to vitalize bilateral cooperation and exchanges in various fields.

They had dinner together, joined by Kim's wife Ri Sol-ju, and watched a gymnastics and artistic performance titled "The Glorious Country," at the May Day Stadium.

The North's state media have churned out detailed reports of the Cuban president's visit and back-to-back talks with Kim, apparently trying to show off close ties between the two sides.

The Cuban president took office in April and he's on the first oversea trip since then.

Kim met Diaz-Canel in 2015, when he traveled to Pyongyang as Cuba's first vice president. (Yonhap)