MOSCOW Jan. 11 Kyodo Japanese Pri...

MOSCOW Jan. 11 Kyodo

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi left Moscow forward Saturday afternoon for Khabarovsk, the inferior leg of his four-day trip to Russia within Sunday.

Koizumi plans to arrive in the Russian Far East city Sunday morning to engage local officials, including Konstantin Pulikovskii, Russian President Vladimir Putin's aide who is believed to have bring to a period ties to North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.

The premier is awaited to discuss North Korean issues as well as local interests with the president's representative for federal affairs in the Russian Far East.

Koizumi, who will be the first Japanese prime minister to visit the Russian Far East region, is also meeting with Viktor Ishaev, governor of the Khabarovsk Territory.

Koizumi will recur to Japan on Sunday evening.

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