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

Present at the talks from the DPRK side were 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, Kim Yang Gon, alternate member of the Political Bureau and secretary of the WPK Central Committee, Kim Kye Gwan, first vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, and Kim Yong Jae, DPRK ambassador to Russia.

Present there from the Russian side were 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 and chairman of the Russian side to the Governmental Committee between Russia-Korea for the Cooperation of Trade and Economy, Science and Technology, Valery Sukhinin, Russian ambassador to the DPRK, and Aleksei Borodavkin, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs.

Medvedev warmly welcomed Kim Jong Il visiting Russia, noting that his Russia visit is of particularly important significance in promoting the mutual understanding, trust, friendship and cooperation between the two countries and putting the Russia-DPRK friendly relations on a new higher stage.

Saying that Kim Jong Il's appreciation of the changes taking place in the land of Russia during his long trip to the Far East and Siberia regions constitutes a great inspiration and positive support to the struggle of the Russian people, the Russian president highly estimated the contribution made by Kim Jong Il to steadily developing the bilateral friendly relations.

The Russian president extended kind salute to all the Korean people who are dedicating themselves to bringing about a new turn in building a prosperous and powerful nation till 2012, the centenary of the birth of President Kim Il Sung, the great leader of the Korean people.

The Russian president expressed support to the positive measures taken by the DPRK to defend the peace and security of Northeast Asia, develop the economy to suit the specific conditions of the country and improve the standard of the people's living. He expressed the belief that the Korean people would register greater successes in the building of a prosperous and powerful nation under the leadership of Kim Jong Il.

Kim Jong Il thanked the Russian president and other central leading officials and the governments and people of different regions for kindly receiving him wherever he went and according him cordial hospitality and extended his regards to the Russian people.

He said he witnessed the successes achieved by the Russian government and people in the work to modernize the economy, bolster the defense capability and achieve social stability under the leadership of Medvedev and got better knowledge of the history and culture of Russia while touring several cities and units of the vast Far East and Siberian regions. He hoped the Russian people would enjoy prosperity in the future, too.

At the talks the top leaders of the two countries informed each other of the situation in their countries and appreciated with satisfaction the favorably developing bilateral relations. They exchanged their views on developing the bilateral relations and reached a consensus of views on all the issues discussed.

The two top leaders were unanimous in saying that boosting the bilateral friendly and cooperative relations with a long historical tradition is not only in line with the desire of the two peoples and their fundamental interests but is of important significance in developing Northeast Asia and defending world peace and security.

The Russian president reiterated that the Russian side would join the DPRK side in boosting the Russia-DPRK good-neighborly, friendly and cooperative relations and thus making a positive contribution to bringing greater well-being to the two peoples.

Kim Jong Il reiterated the determination of the government and people of the DPRK to make every possible effort to further develop the traditional bilateral friendly and cooperative relations in the future, too.

At the talks the top leaders underlined the need for the two countries to boost the friendship, equality and mutually beneficial cooperative relations in the spirit of the DPRK-Russia Joint Declaration inked in Pyongyang in 2000, the 2001 DPRK-Russia Moscow Declaration and the Treaty of Friendship, Good-neighborliness and Cooperation between the DPRK and Russia.

They expressed firm belief that the cause of building a prosperous and powerful nation in the DPRK and that of building a powerful state in Russia would surely be accomplished thanks to the two peoples' vigorous struggle for social progress and development. They expressed mutual support and solidarity with the cause.

The two top leaders had an in-depth exchange of views on regional and international issues at the talks.

At the talks they shared the view that the six-party talks should be resumed without any precondition at an early date to implement the September 19 joint statement on the principle of simultaneous action and thus accelerate the denuclearization of the whole Korean Peninsula.

Manifested at the talks was the will of the governments of the two countries to reject high-handed and arbitrary practices in the international arena and establish a fair international order in order to actively contribute to the peace and security in the region and the rest of the world.

The talks discussed a series of agenda items on boosting the economic and cooperative relations in various fields including the issue of energy including gas and the issue of linking railways and reached a common understanding of them.

It was decided at the talks to organize and operate working groups to put the above-said issues into practice and the two countries agreed to continue cooperating with each other in this direction.

The two top leaders expressed satisfaction with the results of the talks and further deepened their friendship.

Kim Jong Il invited the Russian president to pay a visit to the DPRK at a convenient time and the invitation was accepted with pleasure.

The talks proceeded in a sincere and friendly atmosphere from start to end.