Pyongyang, December 21 (KCNA) -- Vorontsov, chief of Section for Korea of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, in a press interview on Tuesday said as follows:

The demise of leader Kim Jong Il of the DPRK will not have any impact on the principled stand taken by the DPRK at the nuclear talks.

The DPRK will stably develop and no big change would be made in its internal and external policies.

When President Kim Il Sung passed away in 1994, the West blared Kim Jong Il's leading system would last for two years at best.

But he defended the republic.

The present situation is better than that in the mid-1990s.

The DPRK has recorded positive economic development in the recent 10 years.

We don't think there would be any switchover in its domestic and foreign policies.

The successor will be faithful to the objective which had already been set.

The political elites of the DPRK will unite closer around the leader.