Russia, North Korea complete railway renovation work...

Russia and North Korea have celebrated the completion of a project to renovate a railway linking the 2 countries.

State-run Russian Railways has finished repairing a 54-kilometer section between Russia's Khasan and North Korea's northeastern port of Rajin.

A ceremony to mark the completion of the project was held at North Korea's border station of Tumangang on Thursday. About 500 people, including railway officials from Russia and North Korea, attended.

The Vice President of Russian Railways, Valery Reshetnikov, announced a plan to actively use Rajin for cargo transport from the Siberian Railway.

He said Rajin will become another central port in the Asia-Pacific region as it has now been connected to the 10,000-kilometer Siberian Railway linking Europe and Asia.

Based on a bilateral agreement, Russian Railways has invested around 260 million dollars in the project. It is currently developing a quay where large cargo vessels will be able to dock.

Next year, Russia will host an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum for the first time in Vladivostok, in the country's Far East. This is part of Russia's effort to integrate the area, which is enjoying rapid economic growth, into the mainstream of the Russian economy.

The railway renovation project is seen as another attempt by Russia to increase its influence in the region by strengthening relations with North Korea.
(Japan Broadcasting Corporation, Oct. 14,2011)