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Kim Agrees to Return to 6-Party Talks

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il told President Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday that his country was ready to return to six-party talks regarding its nuclear program without preconditions, the Kremlin said.

Russia and China have called for their immediate resumption of the talks, which collapsed two years ago, while South Korea, Japan and the United States have said that the North must first show that it's serious about nuclear disarmament.

Kim also said the North would be open to imposing a moratorium on the production and testing of nuclear materials, Medvedev's spokeswoman Natalya Timakova told journalists at the summit in Ulan-Ude, Buryatia, according to comments carried by news agencies.

Earlier, Russia promised to deliver 50,000 tons of wheat to the impoverished nation, which is thought to be suffering from severe food shortages due to poor weather and economic mismanagement.

Kim's visit to Russia, which has been shrouded in mystery reportedly due to security concerns, is expected to conclude Wednesday evening with a concert.

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