North Korea's state-run news agency says North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and former U.S. President Bill Clinton met in Pyongyang on Tuesday afternoon and exchanged views on a wide range of issues pending between the two countries.

The North's Korean Central News Agency said Clinton conveyed U.S. President Barack Obama's verbal message to Kim in a courteous manner and that the North Korean leader expressed thanks and had "sincere talks."

On hand at the meeting between Kim and Clinton were the North's First Vice Foreign Minister Kang Sok-ju and head of the Unified Front Department of the North's ruling Workers' Party Kim Yang-gun.

The KCNA said the North's powerful National Defense Commision hosted a dinner in honor of Mr. Clinton at the Baekhwawon Guesthouse in the North Korean capital.

The report said the dinner was hosted in a "warm atmosphere," but did not say what was discussed at the meeting.

Clinton arrived in Pyongyang earlier in the day on an unannounced mission to negotiate the release of two imprisoned Americans Euna Lee and Laura Ling, reporters for former U.S. Vice President Al Gore's Current TV media venture.

They were arrested along the North Korean-Chinese border in March and sentenced in June to 12 years of hard labor for illegal entry and engaging in "hostile acts."