Kim Jong Il Ends Nine-day Train Trip across Russia

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 ◆ Kim Jong Il Ends Nine-day Train Trip across Russia

Kim Jong Il, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), arrived in Moscow Friday evening for a five-day visit. Kim, who just ended his nine-day train trip across Russia, was welcomed by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Ilya Klebanov at the Yaroslavl railway station. After a short welcome ceremony, Kim went to a residence in the Kremlin where he will stay during the visit. The railway station and streets nearby were blocked off and under tight security control. Kim, who crossed into Russia on July 26 and made several stopovers along the Trans-Siberian railway, is scheduled to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday. Some key documents, including a joint declaration, are to be signed. On Sunday, he will meet with other Russian leaders, visited Russian space bases and then travel to the second biggest city of St. Petersburg for a two-day staying. This is Kim's second official foreign trip abroad apart from the one to China in May last year. He agreed to visit Russia when Putin visited Pyongyang in July last year. Several earlier dates were proposed for the visit but postponed.