After five days of talks, the 13th meeting of the Inter-Korean Committee for the Promotion of Economic Cooperation concluded in Pyongyang on Sunday, with a series of agreements, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

"The south side shall provide 400,000 tons of rice to the north side," said the KCNA.

The KCNA did not release details about when and how it would send the rice. But it is reported that the first batch will be sent in late May.

The two sides also agreed to have a trial operation of trains on the sections of railway across the border between the north and the south on May 17.

Both sides signed economic cooperation agreements on light industry, mining, fisheries and the enlargement of Kaesong industry park.

The next meeting of the committee will be in South Korea in July, said the KCNA.

(Xinhua News Agency April 23, 2007)