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Kim Jong Il Leaves St. Petersburg for Moscow
Ending his two-day stay in St. Petersburg, Kim Jong Il, head of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), left the second biggest city of Russia for Moscow on Tuesday, beginning a return trip to his homeland from a nearly two-week historic journey by train in Russia.
Before saying Good-bye to the Russian northern capital, Kim met St. Petersburg Governor Vladimir Yakovlev on bilateral economic cooperation and invited him to visit the DPRK, according to Russian mass media.
Accepting Kim's invitation, Yakovlev told Kim that he also intends to make a visit to South Korea this year. Kim proposed that Yakovlev "compare impressions" on South Korea and the DPRK.
On Tuesday, before quitting St. Petersburg, Kim visited the Piskaryov memorial cemetery to see the graves of more than a million people, who died of famine and disease during the Leningrad blockade of World War II.
He laid a wreath bearing a Korean language tribute "To the heroic defenders of Leningrad, from Kim Jong Il," and made an entry in a book of distinguished visitors.
Kim also inspected the Kirov plant before leaving the city in his armored train.
On Monday, Kim held talks with Yakovlev in the Smolny Palace, and they agreed that there is potential for the development of economic cooperation, in particular, in the machine-building sphere and in the construction of reactor and boiler equipment.
He also visited the Leningrad Metal Plant producing energy equipment and was shown around several historic monuments.
After attending a series of cultural activities in Moscow on Tuesday, Kim will leave for the Siberian city of Novosibirsk Wednesday for a two-day stopover.
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