Testing of the second generating set has begun at the Bureyskaya hydroelectric power station in Amur Region. Six sets are planned to be assembled. After this the power station will not only be able to meet the Russian Far East's needs, but will be able to export energy to North Korea, which has a catastrophic electricity shortage.

North Korea's power stations can only meet 40 per cent of the country's needs and this holds back industrial development. The economic crisis cannot be overcome without the help of neighbouring countries, first and foremost its nearest neighbour, Russia.

"An intergovernmental commission is looking at cooperation and economic relations in various sectors. I think that this allows us to hope for good contacts in the future and good economic cooperation," said Konstantin Pulikovskiy, presidential envoy to Far Eastern Federal District.

The first projects include the reconstruction of a hydroelectric power station in North Korea with the help of Russian experts and the building of a power line from the Bureyskaya power station via Maritime Territory to Pyongyang. This will enable North Korea to reduce its energy deficit by about one-third. Energy officials from the two countries are already discussing concrete details of the future international power line.