Putin, Kim discuss linking railroads

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed ways to expand bilateral economic cooperation Friday in Russia's Pacific port of Vladivostok. They talked for nearly four hours in a state guest house, mainly concentrating on a railroad project.

The two leaders reportedly discussed the project to join Russia's Trans-Siberian Railroad and railroads in North Korea. That would provide a rail link from South Korea to Europe, after completion of inter-Korean railroad projects.

Other measures to enhance ties between the two countries' econo-mies were discussed, Mr. Putin said, as well as Korean Peninsula affairs.

But no concrete outcomes of their talks, such as a timetable or division of costs, were made public.

Attending a meeting with officials of Russia's Far Eastern region in the morning, Mr. Putin stressed that the railway project was the reason he had invited Mr. Kim for this visit. He added that Moscow must win the business before China enters the project.

"Tangible developments in North Korea-Russia railroad construction would accelerate the pace of the inter-Korean railroad project," a South Korean government official said, on condition of anonymity.

Regarding their discussion about the peninsula affairs, Mr. Putin said, "I want to underline once again that Russia is prepared to contribute to the normalization of the situation on the Korean Peninsula." He did not elaborate on whatever Mr. Kim may have proposed to better inter-Korean relations.

Despite the expectation that the North Korean leader might address the issue of the approaching deadline for the North's missile-test moratorium, Mr. Putin's briefing did not address the missile issue.

In May 2001, Mr. Kim announced that his government would place a unilateral moratorium on long-range missile launches until 2003. Last year's meeting between the Russian and North Korean leaders resulted in the Moscow Declaration, in which Pyeongyang affirmed that its missile program is of a peaceful nature and, accordingly, poses no threat to any country.

With the moratorium's expiration time approaching, the United States urged the North early this month to extend it beyond 2003.

Mr. Kim's train will leave Vladivostok Saturday morning and return to North Korea in the evening.

by Ser Myo-ja