North Korea's Kim Jong Il arrived on Monday morning for two days to St. Petersburg on the 11th day of his train travels across Russia.

He arrived at 10:00 a.m. - two hours behind schedule because of a bomb scare en route - at St. Petersburg's Moscow Station. Kim visited the Hermitage Museum and the Peter and Paul Fortress later this day. He also met the Governor Vladimir Yakovlev. They discussed the ABM treaty.

The two also discussed energy exports to Kim's energy-starved land. Kim announced that he favoured opening a North Korean trade representation in St. Petersburg.

Trade volume between St. Petersburg and North Korea was just $1.2 million last year.

Kim visited Leningrad Machine-Building Factory, accompanied by Yakovlev and Deputy Prime Minister Ilya Klebanov. There he saw the massive turbines that are being completed for a nuclear power station in China, RosBalt reported. Kim later visited the Baltika brewery in St. Petersburg and announced North Korea's intention to build a similar plant using equipment imported from England.

This trip to Russia is only the third time Kim has been abroad as leader of the impoverished and isolated country. Concerns over a possible coup during any trip abroad are often cited as a key reason behind Kim's reluctance to travel.

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