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 General Secretary 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.