Kim Young Nam’s visit to North Korean ally Vietnam has already yielded benefits for Pyongyang, including a Vietnamese pledge to provide the country with 5,000 tons of rice to help overcome recent flooding.

Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang made the announcement during a welcome event for Kim in Hanoi yesterday. Kim arrived in the Vietnamese capital on Sunday evening.

According to local news agency VNS, Kim and Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong also “agreed to strengthen co-ordination at regional and international forums, such as at the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).”

The two agreed to improve relations and enhance cooperation and exchanges in a number of areas, while the Vietnamese reportedly declared that they “welcomed visits by the DPRK delegations at all levels to share experiences and study Viet Nam's national construction and development.”