"We do feel we are making progress," Hill told journalists in Moscow after talks with Russian foreign ministry counterpart Alexei Borodavkin.

Following talks in Beijing, Hill was in Moscow to discuss with Russian officials international attempts to secure the North Korean declaration, whose delay has frozen the implementation of a breakthrough deal with Pyongyang.

Russia is part of a six-nation group attempting to secure the scrapping of North Korea's nuclear programme.

Asked when North Korea would submit the long-awaited report, Hill said: "I don't want to predict the day or the week. But I think they are getting ready to do this."

The North Korean declaration, a key step in reducing tensions over the reclusive Communist regime's nuclear programme, was originally due at the end of last year under an agreement with Pyongyang.

It is expected to give a full account of the country's nuclear activities.

On Monday a South Korean government source said North Korea could hand over the declaration this week.

As part of negotiations with North Korea, Russia is delivering the second in a series of shipments of fuel oil to North Korea, aimed at easing the state's energy concerns, which should be completed by early June, Borodavkin said.

Russian newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta quoted an expert as saying Washington wants to get Russia and the other members of the six-nation group to take a united stand on the North Korean declaration.

"Hill's task is to persuade the Russian side to agree with the main provisions of North Korea's declaration on its nuclear activities and to coordinate the response of the other members of the six," said Alexander Zhebin.

On Thursday Borodavkin held talks with South Korea's envoy on the nuclear issue, Kim Sook.

Hill's visit came as South Korea moved to debunk latest rumours of the death of North Korea's reclusive leader Kim Jong-Il, prompted by an Internet report that he had been killed.

The South Korean Unification Ministry described such rumours as a "farce."

Russia has a short land border with North Korea and is part of the six-party effort to get the North Korean regime to end its nuclear activities along with China, Japan, South Korea, the United States and North Korea itself.

Last year the North agreed to disable nuclear plants at its key Yongbyon facility in exchange for aid and diplomatic recognition.

As part of the deal, Pyongyang was to hand over a full declaration of all its nuclear activities by December 31 last year.

But disputes over the declaration have blocked the start of the final phase of the process -- dismantling of the plants and the handover of all atomic material.

The biggest sticking points have centred on US suspicions that North Korea had a secret uranium enrichment programme and was involved in building a nuclear reactor in Syria on a site bombed by Israel last September.

North Korea has not admitted to either allegation.

Meanwhile Nezavisimaya Gazeta said the North Korea issue could become linked to Russia's objections to Washington's plans for new missile defence facilities, as agreement with North Korea would make such facilities unnecessary.