North Korea's Kim arrives in Moscow

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il arrived in Moscow late this evening, ending a nine-day train journey across Russia for talks …

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il arrived in Moscow late this evening, ending a nine-day train journey across Russia for talks with President Vladimir Putin, Russian news agencies reported.

Mr Kim (59) who has previously only left North Korea to visit China, was welcomed at Moscow's Yaroslavsky railway station by Deputy Prime Minister Ilya Klebanov, RIA news agency said.

The reclusive North Korean leader will stay in the Kremlin during his visit to the Russian capital, and occupy the same suites used by his father Kim Il-sung in 1984, state-run ORT television reported.