Pyongyang, December 22 (KCNA) -- Lao Vice-President Bounnhang Vorachith, member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and permanent secretary of the Secretariat of its Central Committee, together with members of the presidency, paid a visit to the DPRK embassy in his country Tuesday to express condolences over the demise of leader Kim Jong Il.

The vice-president and his party laid a wreath before a portrait of Kim Jong Il hanging in the mourning place and observed a moment's silence to his memory.

The vice-president wrote in the condolence book as follows:

Comrade Kim Jong Il's whole life was the one of great worth dedicated to carrying forward the cause of President Kim Il Sung, the great leader of the Korean people.

He devoted his all to the noble cause of building a thriving socialist state while leading the DPRK.

His demise is not only the loss of great leader to the fraternal Workers' Party of Korea, government and people of the DPRK but also the great loss of a close friend to the People's Revolutionary Party, the government and the people of Laos.

Other senior Lao officials also paid condolatory visits to the embassy that day.

They included the vice-foreign minister who is a member of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and vice-chairman of the Committee for External Affairs of the party, Tong Yeu Tho, member of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, vice-chairman of the Central Committee of the National Construction Front of Laos and chairman of the Laos-Korea Friendship Association, Sysay Leudedmounsone, member of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and president of the Central Committee of the Lao Women's Union, and officials of the Committee for External Affairs of the party and foreign ministry.