Kim Jong Il Greets Nong Duc Manh

Pyongyang, October 16 (KCNA) -- Nong Duc Manh, Secretary General of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, arrived in Pyongyang by a special plane on Oct. 16 to pay an official goodwill visit to the DPRK at the invitation of Kim Jong Il, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission.
Kim Jong Il greeted Nong Duc Manh at the Pyongyang Airport.
Thousands of Pyongyangites turned out to the airport with flags of the two countries and flowers in their hands to greet the envoys of Vietnam.
Present at the airport were Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, Kim Yong Il, premier of the Cabinet, Kim Il Chol, minister of the People's Armed Forces, Kim Jong Gak, first vice director of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People's Army, Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the SPA Presidium, Kim Ki Nam, secretary of the WPK Central Committee, Kang Sok Ju, first vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, leading officials of the party and power organs, ministries and national institutions and Ma Chol Su, DPRK ambassador to Vietnam.
On hand were Le Van Cu, Vietnamese ambassador to the DPRK, and staff members of the Vietnamese embassy.
At 2 p.m. the plane carrying the goodwill envoys of the Vietnamese people touched down at the airport.
Kim Jong Il exchanged a firm handshake with Nong Duc Manh and warmly hugged him.
Arriving here together with Nong Duc Manh were Pham Gia Khiem, member of the Political Bureau of the C.C., the Communist Party of Vietnam who is also deputy prime minister and foreign minister, and Tran Van Hang, chairman of the Commission for External Affairs of the Party Central Committee, Ngo Van Du, chief of the General Office of the Party Central Committee, Hoang Tuan Anh, minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, who are members of the Party Central Committee, and other suite members.
A function took place at the airport in welcome of Nong Duc Manh.
Kim Jong Il and Nong Duc Manh reviewed the guard of honor of the KPA three services amid the booming of a 21-gun salute.
A woman worker presented a bouquet carrying friendly feelings to Nong Duc Manh.
Women of the Vietnamese embassy here presented fragrant bouquets to Kim Jong Il and Nong Duc Manh.
Nong Duc Manh waved back to the enthusiastically cheering crowd, walking past them.
His visit to the DPRK is a manifestation of the firm support and solidarity to the Korean people in their just cause of building a great prosperous powerful socialist nation and achieving the independent and peaceful reunification of the country and marks an important occasion in boosting the friendly relations between the DPRK and Vietnam.