PYONGYANG, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Kim Jong Un, the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), held talks Tuesday with Thongloun Sisoulith, general secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and Lao president, after attending a welcoming ceremony for him, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Wednesday.

At the invitation of Kim, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK, Thongloun arrived in Pyongyang earlier Tuesday for a visit on the occasion of the 80th founding anniversary of the WPK.

During the talks, Kim extended his warm welcome to Thongloun, depicting the visit as an expression of the full support and encouragement of the Lao party, government and people for the cause of the WPK and DPRK people.

Kim said that the party, government and people of the DPRK wished the Lao party and people greater successes in their struggle.

Thongloun said that Laos is always a close friend of the fraternal Korean people and it is the consistent stand of the state leadership body of Laos to continue to develop the relations of friendship and cooperation between the two parties and the two countries.

The two sides shared their experience on party- and state-building and discussed how to boost cooperation between the two countries, said the report.

The two sides expressed expectation and conviction that the traditional relations of friendship and cooperation between the two parties and the two countries would grow stronger in conformity with the aspiration and desire of the two peoples, it added. Enditem