NKorea leader's visit to Russia widely covered by local media

PYONGYANG, August 22 (Itar-Tass) - North Korean media outlets give a
wide coverage to North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's visit to Russia, that
began on August 20.
Not only newspapers, TV and radio report on the visit, but also
propaganda teams on cars with loudspeakers inform people in major cities
of the country about the visit.
The program of his visit includes trips to some regions of the Far
Eastern and Siberian federal districts. A meeting with Russian President
Dmitry Medvedev will be the focal event.
The Russian president "pays much attention to relations between Russia
and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea," the Korean Central News
Agency writes. In their reports from Russia, North Korean reporters
emphasize that the trip proceeds "in a warm and friendly atmosphere".
In response to greetings of Russian people, Kim Jong-il says he is
"glad to have an opportunity to witness with his own eyes achievements of
industrious and talented Russian people".
Kim Jong-il visited Russia twice. Earlier, he accompanied his father,
Kim Il-sung, to the USSR in 1957 and 1959.
The first official visit to Russia was paid in the summer 2001 and it
was unprecedentedly long - from July 26 to August 18. Kim Jong-il traveled
to the whole territory of Russia and practically repeated the father's
itinerary. While in Moscow, he held talks with Vladimir Putin. Both
parties signed the Moscow Declaration, which confirmed the sides'
commitment to ensuring global stability and strengthening bilateral
relations.
The second visit to Russia was made on August 20-24, 2002. Kim Jong-il
paid a study trip to the Far East. He studied the region's economic
policy. He met with Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok on August 23.