Pyongyang, September 23 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Il, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK and supreme commander of the Korean People's Army, met Choummaly Sayasone, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and president of the Lao People's Democratic Republic and chairman of the Central Committee of Defence and Security of the LPDR, on a visit to the DPRK on Sept. 23.

Present were Kim Jong Un, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission of the WPK, Ri Yong Ho, member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee and chief of the KPA General Staff, Kim Yong Il and Pak To Chun, alternate members of the Political Bureau and secretaries of the WPK Central Committee and Ju Kyu Chang, alternate member of the Political Bureau and department director of the WPK Central Committee.

Present from the opposite side were Thongloun Sisoulith, vice-prime minister and foreign minister of Laos and member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and chairman of the Committee for External Affairs of the LPRP, Bounpone Bouttanavong, member of the Political Bureau and secretary and secretary general of the C.C., the LPRP, Cheuang Sombounkhan, secretary of the LPRP Central Committee and chairman of the Propaganda and Education Ideological Committee, Phongsavath Boupha, minister and secretary general of the Presidency and Chansamone Chanyalath, member of the C.C., the LPRP and vice-minister of Defence, Chaleune Warinthrasak, Lao ambassador to the DPRK.

Kim Jong Il exchanged a firm handshake with Choummaly Sayasone and had warm meeting.

Kim Jong Il warmly welcomed Choummaly Sayasone's visit to the DPRK and conveyed his warm greetings to the Lao people in their efforts to defend the gains of the revolution, develop the people's democratic system and increase the state power as a whole under the leadership of the LPRP.

Choummaly Sayasone expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Kim Jong Il for inviting him and sparing his time to meet him despite the pressure of the work of leading the building of a thriving nation.

Choummaly Sayasone said during his visit he could see for himself the fraternal Korean people making big successes in their efforts to achieve the prosperity of the country and improve the standard of their living upholding the banner of the Juche idea, Songun idea and self-reliance under the leadership of the WPK headed by Kim Jong Il. He conveyed his kind greetings to all the Korean people working hard to build a thriving socialist nation and reunify the country on the principles of independence, peace and the great national unity.

The Lao president recalled that the party and government of the DPRK and the fraternal Korean people not only rendered assistance, material and moral, to the Lao people in their national salvation struggle and the building of a new society but are giving valuable help today, too. He, on behalf of the LPRP, state and people of Laos, once again expressed sincere thanks for this.

The Laos-DPRK friendship provided by Kaysone Phomvihane, respected president of the Lao people, and President Kim Il Sung, the great leader of the Korean people, has invariably been carried forward and has grown strong, he noted.

He stressed that it is the steadfast will of the LPRP, state and people of Laos to preserve and boost the traditional Laos-DPRK friendly and cooperative relations, an excellent and precious legacy, in the future, too.

Kim Jong Il expressed the will of the WPK and the DPRK government to further strengthen the friendly and cooperative relations with Laos in line with the noble intentions of the leaders of the elder generation of the two countries and the desire of their peoples.

Kim Jong Il in company with Choummaly Sayasone visited an exhibition featuring the history of the development of the KPA's arms and equipment.

The Lao president expressed his deep impression, saying the exhibition vividly shows the laudable successes achieved by the Korean people in the efforts to bolster the military capability, the national power, in every way holding aloft the banner of self-reliance under the Songun leadership of the President and Kim Jong Il.

The Lao president presented Kim Jong Il and Kim Jong Un, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission of the WPK, with the gifts he prepared with sincerity.

Kim Jong Il expressed deep thanks to him for this.

He hosted a banquet in honor of the Lao president.

Present there on invitation were Thongloun Sisoulith, vice-prime minister and foreign minister of Laos and member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the LPRP and chairman of the Committee for External Affairs of the LPRP, Bounpone Bouttanavong, member of the Political Bureau and secretary and secretary general of the C.C., the LPRP, Cheuang Sombounkhan, secretary of the LPRP Central Committee and chairman of the Propaganda and Education Ideological Committee, Phongsavath Boupha, minister and secretary general of the Presidency, Chansamone Chanyarath, member of the C.C., the LPRP and vice-minister of Defence, and Chaleune Warinthrasak, Lao ambassador to the DPRK.

Present there were Kim Jong Un, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission of the WPK, Ri Yong Ho, member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the C.C., the WPK and chief of the General Staff of the KPA, Kim Yong Il and Pak To Chun, alternate members of the Political Bureau and secretaries of the C.C., the WPK, and Ju Kyu Chang, alternate member of the Political Bureau and department director of the C.C., the WPK.

The banquet proceeded in a cordial atmosphere overflowing with friendship from its beginning to its end.

Kim Jong Il warmly hugged Choummaly Sayasone before bidding farewell to him.