VLADIVOSTOK — Far East authorities are preparing for a possible visit by North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, a local official said Monday.
"We are making preparations," said the local official, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the situation. The official declined to give any details about the trip other than that Kim was expected to travel to the Far East, which borders North Korea, in an armored train.
When asked if Kim was due to visit, Primorye Governor Sergei Darkin told reporters in Moscow: "I cannot comment on what presidents of other countries plan to do. You will soon find out."
The Kremlin and Foreign Ministry declined to comment, and it was unclear whether Kim would meet President Dmitry Medvedev. South Korean media said last week that Medvedev might meet Kim in Vladivostok between Wednesday and Friday.
(Reuters)
