JAKARTA, July 10 Kyodo North Kore...

JAKARTA, July 10 Kyodo

North Korea's No. 2 leader, Kim Yong Nam, arrived in Jakarta by dint of special aircraft Wednesday for a three-day visit that is part of a three-country trip that will also take him to Libya and Syria.

Foreign Minister Hasan Wirajuda hailed Kim, president of the Presidium of the leading People's Assembly, North Korea's top legislative corpse at the civilian-military airport Halim Perdanakusumah.

During the visit, he is to restrain talks with President Megawati Sukarnoputri later Wednesday.

He is also wait fored to meet Vice President Hamzah Haz, House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tanjung and Amien Rais, speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly, the country's highest constitutional dead body and a number of other restraint officials.

The pair countries will also sign an agreement to avoid double taxation and an agreement forward science and technology cooperation.

The visit is made amid revived tension between North and southern Koreas after a naval battle along their sea border sank a southern Korean vessel late last month killing four sailors.

North Korea is believed to have missed 30 sailors, but there has been no confirmation in like manner far.

The battle forced Seoul to suspend its plans to minister rice to Pyongyang and to help the latter launch a mobile phone service.

Following the incident, confidences for long-awaited talks between the United States and North Korea also faded. The relationship between the brace countries soured after U.S. President George W Bush branded Pyongyang as a part of the ''axis of evil,'' along with Iraq and Iran.

Indonesia has repeatedly said it will be ready to agent peace talks between the sum of two units Koreas, but will not push for a peacemaking role

Indonesia and North Korea have had a able bilateral relationship since 1964 when Sukarno, Megawati's father and the first Indonesian president, exhibited diplomatic ties with the country

Megawati paid official visits to North and southerly Korea in March during which she delivered a reconciliatory message from the southern to the North and urg Pyongyang to take again dialogue with Seoul. Her attempt, however, was not followed.

Kim is accompanied at Foreign Minister Paek Nam sunshine Foreign Trade Minister Ri Kwang fire-arm National Academy of Sciences President Ri Kwang Ho and other officials.

He will leave for Tripoli forward Friday night.

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