Kim Yong Il (L), Premier of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), shakes hands with his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Tan Dung in Hanoi Oct. 27, 2007. Kim Yong Il started a four-day official visit to Vietnam on Saturday. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    HANOI, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- Both Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and his counterpart Kim Yong Il from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) said Saturday the latter's official trip to Vietnam will help strengthen traditional friendship and relations between the two countries.

    They made the remarks during a meeting here Saturday morning. The DPRK premier said his official trip to Vietnam from Oct. 27-30 at the invitation of Dung will help strengthen traditional friendship and relations between the two countries.

    For his part, Dung said the DPRK premier's visit is of importance, which will bring the traditional friendship and relations between the two counties to a new level.

    After talks, the two prime ministers are scheduled to witness the signing of documents on cooperation in some fields between the two countries.

    Kim Yong Il is scheduled to pay a courtesy call on General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nong Duc Manh, and meet with local officials at the Ministry of Planning and Investment and northern Quang Ninh province on Saturday afternoon.

    

Kim Yong Il (R, front), Premier of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), accompanied by his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Tan Dung, reviews an honour guard during an official welcoming ceremony held in Hanoi Oct. 27, 2007. Kim started a four-day official visit to Vietnam on Saturday.(Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    Between Sunday and Tuesday, he will visit northern Hai Phong province and southern Ho Chi Minh City, and pay a courtesy call on Vietnamese State President Nguyen Minh Triet.

    The official visit of the DPRK premier and the recent trip of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nong Duc Manh to the DPRK in mid-October indicate that the traditional friendly and cooperative ties between the two countries have been going smoothly.

    During the trip to the DPRK, Manh and General Secretary of the Workers' Party and Chairman of the National Defense Committee of the DPRK Kim Jong Il agreed to increase meetings, visits, mutual understanding and the sharing of experiences while making every effort to expand cooperation in the areas of economy, culture, science, technology, education and training.

    Vietnam and the DPRK established diplomatic ties on Jan. 31, 1950. The two sides have lent helping hands to each other during the struggles for national liberation and the process of national construction and defense.

    The two countries have inked a number of important treaties and agreements, including an agreement on culture cooperation in 1957,an agreement on scientific and technical cooperation in 1958, a treaty on friendship and cooperation in 1961, an agreement on trade and maritime in 1962 and an agreement on medical assistance in 1966.