SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korea is pushing for a project to develop land in Russia's Far East to farm, Russia's state-funded radio station said Thursday.

   A North Korean agricultural delegation met with its Russian counterpart to discuss ways to develop the empty land in the Amur region, the Voice of Russia said
"There is 200,000 hectares of vacant land," Russia's international radio broadcasting service said. "Russia and North Korea held the first talks over development of the land."

   Igor Gorevoi, the minister of foreign economic relations in the Amur region, was quoted as saying it would be beneficial for North Korea to utilize the vacant land in the region.

   The report came after North Korean leader Kim Jong-il last week visited Russia to discuss economic cooperation projects and resumption of the stalled six-party talks on Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions.

   ejkim@yna.co.kr
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