Kim Jong-il ‘ready to suspend’ nuclear tests

During talks with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Kim also struck a deal on the transit of Russian natural gas through North Korea‘s territory to South Korea.

The summit took place at a military site outside Ulan-Ude near Siberia’s eastern mountains, some 3,300 miles east of Moscow.

‘Frank and substantial’

The Kremlin described the talks as “frank and substantial”.

“Kim Jong-il expressed readiness to return to six-party talks without preconditions.

“In the course of the talks the North Koreans will be ready to resolve the issue of imposing a moratorium on testing and production of missile and nuclear weaponry,” Kremlin spokewsoman Natalya Timakova said.

First visit in nine years

Wearing his trademark beige suit, the reclusive North Korean leader was seen shaking hands with a smiling Medvedev after the talks.

It is Kim’s first public visit to Russia since 2002, when he met then-President Vladimir Putin in the far eastern city of Vladivostok.

The itinerary for this visit, which is expected to last about a week, has largely been kept secret due to concerns for Kim’s personal safety.

The North Korean leader arrived in Russia’s far east in a custom-built armoured train on Saturday. Russian media reported that he will start his return trip home directly after the talks.

Six-nation talks

The summit could revive six-nation talks to provide aid to North Korea as an incentive to give up its nuclear weapons programme.

In 2009, Pyongyang walked out of six-party talks with South Korea, the US, Japan, China and Russia, and conducted its second nuclear test soon after.

Food shortages

In recent months, Kim has sought help from regional powers to help his impoverished nation. Ahead of the visit, Moscow announced it would provide 50,000 tons of wheat to his country.

Economic ties and North Korea’s energy and food shortages were also expected to be discussed at the summit.

Kim reportedly spent the first few days of his trip touring a Soviet-era aviation site and visiting a dam north of Vladivostock.