China's Xinhua News Agency says Cuban president Raul Castro visited the North Korean Embassy in Cuba on Thursday to offer his condolences over Kim Jong-il’s death.

The report said Castro met with North Korean ambassador Kwon Song-chol and wrote a message in the guest book, but it did not elaborate on details of his remarks.

The Cuban leader earlier sent a letter of condolence to Kim Jong-un, the son and successor of the late Kim Jong-il. The Cuban government also ordered flags to fly at half staff and announced three days of mourning for the late North Korean leader from Monday.

The report quoted diplomatic sources in Cuba as saying the Communist Party of Cuba was planning on sending envoys to North Korea to express its condolences.

Meanwhile, North Korean state-run media said former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi sent a condolence telegram to the Central Committee of the North's Workers' Party. The Korean Central News Agency said Koizumi also expressed his hope for normalization of bilateral relations.