Pyongyang, December 23 (KCNA) -- Officials in Amur Region of Russia visited the DPRK construction company active in Blagobeshensk City on Dec. 20 and 21 to mourn demise of leader Kim Jong Il.

They included Oleg Kozhemyako, governor of the region, N. Sabeliev, chairman of the Regional Legislative Assembly and secretary of the Amur Regional Political Council of "United Russia" Party, and members of the assembly.

They paid silent tribute to the memory of Kim Jong Il after laying bunches of flowers before his portrait.

N. Sabeliev said:

The news of Kim Jong Il's sudden demise engulfed whole Russia in sorrow.

We are sharing the sorrow at this great loss with the Korean people.

Seeing the Korean people writhe in grief like children who lost their real father, we keenly felt once again what the single-minded unity is.

As chairman of the Regional Legislative Assembly I will keep to the last the commitments to cooperation, made by the regional government to Kim Jong Il, come what may.