Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, president of the Russian Federation, hosted a grand banquet on Thursday in welcome of Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un .

Present there on invitation were Kim Phyong Hae and O Su Yong, vice-chairmen of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, Ri Yong Ho, foreign minister, Army General Ri Yong Gil, chief of the General Staff of the Korean People’s Army, Choe Son Hui, first vice-foreign minister, and other officials accompanying Kim Jong Un and suite members.

Also present there on invitation were Kim Hyong Jun, DPRK ambassador to the Russian Federation, and Jo Sok Chol, DPRK consul general in Vladivostok, and members of the consulate general.

Present there from the Russian side were Sergei Lavrov, foreign minister, Yuri Trutnev, deputy prime minister and presidential envoy to the Far East Federal Region, Dmitri Peskov, deputy head of the Presidential Administration and president’s press secretary, Yuri Ushakov, assistant to the president’s foreign policy, Yevgeni Ditrih, minister of Railways, Alexandr Kozlov, minister of Development of the Far East and Arctic, Anatoli Yanovski, vice-minister of Energy, Oleg Belozerov, president of the Russian Railways Company, and Alexandr Matsegora, Russian ambassador to the DPRK, and officials concerned.

President Putin made a congratulatory speech.

Warmly welcoming once again Kim Jong Un and all other Korean friends visiting the Russian Federation, he remembered with deep emotion the history of friendship between the two countries and meaningful meetings between the preceding leaders.

Putin said that the situation around the Korean peninsula is becoming stable at the initiative of Kim Jong Un , and Russia supports the efforts of the DPRK leadership for the DPRK-U.S. dialogue and the improvement of the north-south relations.

Voicing Russia’s willingness to continue mutual co-operation to defuse tension on the Korean peninsula and strengthen security in Northeast Asia as a whole, Putin expressed his conviction that the goal of ensuring lasting peace and stability and achieving prosperity on the peninsula and in the region will certainly be attained by the active involvement of the international community and all the countries concerned.

Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un made a reply speech.

He expressed heartfelt gratitude to Putin for kindly inviting him and according cordial hospitality in all sincerity.

Noting that the peoples of the two countries were firmly linked together with the feelings of comrades-in-arms in the joint struggle for the great anti-Japanese war in the last century, and the officers and men of the Red Army devoted their warm blood to the liberation of Korea, he said the Korean people do not forget the noble internationalist exploits of the sons and daughters of the Russian people who unsparingly laid down their precious lives for the sacred cause of the liberation of Korea and will always remember them in the future, too.

Noting that he had a frank and meaningful conversation with Putin on the issues of developing the DPRK-Russia friendly relations and ensuring peace and security on the Korean peninsula and in the region and international issues of mutual concern, he said it is the fixed stand and strategic policy of the government of the DPRK to steadily develop the DPRK-Russia friendship on a new level as required by the new century.

The Supreme Leader sincerely wished that Russia would certainly prosper as a powerful and dignified great country under the leadership of President Putin.

The banquet proceeded in an amicable atmosphere overflowing with the feelings of friendship.

There was an art performance prepared by Russian artistes in sincerity in welcome of the historic visit to Russia by Kim Jong Un .

Kim Jong Un and Putin presented a floral basket to the performers and expressed thanks.

Expressing deep gratitude to the Russian friends for their enthusiastic and warm hospitality once again, Kim Jong Un exchanged cordial farewell with Putin, promising a new meeting.