N. Korea’s Kim Jong-il visits power plant in Russia’s Far East

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il who is traveling across Russia in his armored train visited the largest hydropower plant in Russia’s Far East on Sunday.

Russian presidential envoy in the Far-Eastern Federal District Viktor Ishayev and Amur Region governor Oleg Kozhemyako gave him a short tour of the Bureiskaya HPP, a well-informed source told RIA Novosti.

“The armored train of Kim Jong-il includes 17 cars, and one of them is carrying the North Korean leader’s Mercedes, which took him to the Bureiskaya hydropower plant,” the source said.

Kim started his first trip to Russia since 2002 on Saturday. He is expected to hold talks with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

The talks are likely to take place in the eastern Siberian city of Ulan-Ude on Tuesday, the South Korean Yonhap news agency reported, citing an unnamed source. The source said Kim may also meet with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

North Korea is facing severe food shortages and increasing international isolation over its nuclear program.

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