Kim Jong Il Seen off by Russian President

Pyongyang, August 24 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Il, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission, was warmly seen off by Dmitri Anatoliyevich Medvedev, president of the Russian Federation, on Wednesday upon the conclusion of his historical visit to the Russian Federation.

Present there were Alexandr Avramov, assistant to president for regional policy, Sergei Prikhodiko, assistant to president for external policy, Viktor Ishayev, presidential envoy to the Far East Region of the Russian Federation, Viktor Tolokonski, presidential envoy to the Siberian Region of the Russian Federation, Anatoly Serzhukov, minister of Defense, Igor Levitin, minister of Transport, Viktor Basargin, minister of Regional Development who is chairman of the Russian side to the Governmental Committee between Russia-DPRK for the Cooperation of Trade and Economy, Science and Technology, Valery Sukhinin, Russian ambassador to the DPRK, Aleksei Borodavkin, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, Byacheslav Nagovitsin, president of the Republic of Buryatia, Matbei Gershevich, chairman of the People's Khural, Gennadi Aidayev, mayor of Ulan-Ude, Anatoly Sidorov, first vice commander of the Eastern Military District of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Tsilko, commander of the 36th Combined Forces of the Eastern Military District, and other central and local leading officials and commanding officers of the armed forces.

Kim Jong Il Meets with Russian President

Pyongyang, August 24 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Il, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission, met with Dmitri Anatoliyevich Medvedev, president of the Russian Federation, in Ulan-Ude, the capital city of the Republic of Buryatia in Russia, on Wednesday.

Kim Jong Il exchanged warm greetings with Medvedev and had a talk with him.

The president warmly welcomed leader Kim Jong Il visiting Russia by sparing precious time despite his tight schedule leading the building of a prosperous and powerful country in the DPRK on behalf of the Russian government and the people. He said that the visit would mark a particularly important occasion in further developing the Russia-DPRK friendly relations as required by the new century.

The third visit to Russia paid by Kim Jong Il in the new century clearly proves what importance he is attaching to the Russia-DPRK friendship, he noted, paying high tribute to Kim Jong Il who has made an immortal contribution to the development of the Russia-DPRK friendship.

Kim Jong Il expressed his pleasure of meeting with Medvedev and thanked him for coming all the way to Ulan-Ude to kindly meet with him. He gave his impressions of his visit to the Far East and Siberian regions under the great concern of the Russian government and people and amid their cordial hospitality.

The talk took place in a warm and friendly atmosphere. -0-

Kim Jong Il′s Russian Visit Hailed as Great Event

Pyongyang, August 24 (KCNA) -- Vorontsov, chief of Section for Korea of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, on a visit to the DPRK had this to say upon hearing the news of leader Kim Jong Il's unofficial visit to Siberia and the Far East Region of the Russian Federation:

Kim Jong Il's visit to Russia is a great event and it cannot but be an auspicious event for the peoples of the two countries.

Kim Jong Il is a great leader. He has paid deep attention to the development of relations with Russia. It has great expectation towards his current visit.

The visit would contribute to boosting the cooperation between the two countries in different domains.

He visited the Bureya Hydro-electric Plant, a large power base in the Far East Region of Russia.

His visit to Russia would mark an important occasion in developing the traditional friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries onto a new higher stage.

I wish Kim Jong Il success in his Russian visit. -0-

Pyongyang, August 23 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Il, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission, visited the Republic of Buryatia in Siberia of the Russian Federation Tuesday.

The Republic of Buryatia was wrapped in a festive atmosphere to welcome Kim Jong Il.

He arrived at Ulan-Ude, the capital city of the Republic this morning.

He exchanged greetings with Byacheslav Nagovitsin, president of the Republic of Buryatia, Matbei Gershevich, chairman of the People's Khural, Sergei Shylin, federal chief inspector for the Republic of Buryatia of the Presidential Envoy Office to the Siberian Region of the Russian Federation, Pyotr Noskov, deputy prime minister of the government of the Republic of Buryatia and chief of the presidential office and government administration of the Republic of Buryatia, Gennadi Aidayev, mayor of Ulan-Ude, and other central and local leading officials who were present there to greet him and Viktor Ishayev, presidential envoy to the Far East Region of the Russian Federation, and Valery Sukhinin, Russian ambassador to the DPRK, who were accompanying him to conduct him on a visit to Siberia in the wake of his visit to the Far East Region.

Kim Jong Il was accorded warm welcome by citizens in national costumes. He was offered bread, salt, blue kerchief, milk and bouquet according to the customs of various nationalities in the region.

He was accompanied by Kim Yong Chun, member of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee and minister of the People's Armed Forces, Kang Sok Ju, member of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee and vice-premier of the Cabinet, Jang Song Thaek, alternate member of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee and vice-chairman of the NDC, Kim Yang Gon, Pak To Chun and Thae Jong Su, alternate members of the Political Bureau and secretaries of the WPK Central Committee, Ju Kyu Chang, alternate member of the Political Bureau and department director of the WPK Central Committee, Pak Pong Ju, first vice department director of the WPK Central Committee, O Su Yong, chief secretary of the North Hamgyong Provincial Committee of the WPK, Kim Kye Gwan, first vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, and Kim Yong Jae, DPRK ambassador to Russia.

He had conversations with leading officials of the Republic of Buryatia including Byacheslav Nagovitsin and Matbei Gershevich.

Nagovitsin said it is a great honor of the people in the region including the Republic of Buryatia to receive Kim Jong Il, the great leader of the Korean people, in their place. He paid high tribute to Kim Jong Il who came all the way to visit Siberia to boost the traditional Russia-DPRK friendship.

Touring various places of the region including Ulan-Ude that day, Kim Jong Il got familiar with the customs and life of various nationalities of the Siberia region. He received warm congratulations and welcome whenever he went.

He was accompanied by Viktor Ishayev, Byacheslav Nagovitsin, Matbei Gershevich, Sergei Shylin, Pyotr Noskov, Gennadi Aidayev and Valery Sukhinin.

He cruised Lake Baikal, a large natural lake of Russia.

The lake is associated with unforgettable historic relics as it was visited by President Kim Il Sung on his way to foreign tour in July 1961, 50 years ago.

Kim Jong Il was greeted by the captain and sailors of passenger ship "Inperiya".

He got aboard the ship. Cruising the lake whose water seems to convey the feelings of the DPRK-Russia friendship just as it did half a century ago, he recollected in reverence the brilliant life and exploits of Kim Il Sung who devoted his all to the friendship among countries and accomplishment of the human cause of independence.

He said that Lake Baikal, scenic beauty of picturesque Siberia, is pride of the Russian people, underscoring the need to preserve well the lake and natural environment in its vicinity to hand them down to the generations to come and positively contribute to the living of the Russian people and the promotion of their well-being.

That day Byacheslav Nagovitsin hosted a luncheon in honor of Kim Jong Il visiting the Republic.

The luncheon took place in a warm and friendly atmosphere.

Artistes of the Republic gave a special performance in welcome of him.

They included people's artistes, merited artistes and international concours winners of Russia and the Republic who visited the DPRK on several occasions including the April Spring Friendship Art Festival.

Put on the stage were numbers including female solos "Altan Delhe" and "Oriole", male solo "Flock of Cranes", mixed duet "Moment of Parting", national instrument solo "Series of Folk Music" and male solo of Korean song "Please Receive Our Salute".

The performance was acclaimed by the audience for high artistry.

Kim Jong Il congratulated the artistes on their successful performance and had a photo taken with them.

He was presented with a gift by the president of the Republic on behalf of its government and people on the same day.

His visit to the Republic took place amid the warm welcome and cordial hospitality accorded by leading officials of Russia and the people of Siberia.

Kim Jong Il to Visit Northeast Area of China

Pyongyang, August 25 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Il, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and chairman of the National Defence Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, will pay a visit to the Northeast area of the People's Republic of China on August 25 on his way home after winding up his visit to the Siberian and Far East Regions of Russia. -0-