July 19 is a significant day which marks the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the DPRK-Russia Joint Declaration.

In July, Juche 89(2000), the historic summit meeting and talks were held in Pyongyang between Chairman Kim Jong Il and Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, President of the Russian Federation.

At the talks, top leaders of the two countries exchanged their views on the issue for developing bilateral relations and other major international issues of mutual interests, and adopted the DPRK-Russia Joint Declaration, which serves as a historic milestone by having reflected the common desire of the peoples of the two countries to expand and develop the traditional ties of friendship between the DPRK and the Russian Federation and by having laid a solid foundation for developing the long-standing and traditional relations of friendship, as required by the new era.

Chairman Kim Jong Il attached special significance to the development of the DPRK-Russia relations and visited the Russian Federation in Juche 90(2001), Juche 91(2002) and Juche 100(2011). Thus, he performed noteworthy immortal exploits in the development of the DPRK-Russia relations, and laid a strong cornerstone for firmly developing the bilateral relations even in the complex international environment.

On the basis of the DPRK-Russia Joint Declaration, the two countries have had close cooperation for the last 20 years in their efforts for sound development of the international relations and for regional peace and security, and have actively promoted the development of bilateral relations through mutual visits and exchange.

The historic summit meeting between Kim Jong Un , Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK, and President Putin, held in Russia’s Vladivostok in April last year, constituted an especially important occasion in reaffirming the constant trend of the history of DPRK-Russia relations and developing the friendly relations between the two countries on a more stable and proactive basis.

The two countries have actively conducted high-level visits and contacts – to include the visits to the DPRK by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Development of Far East and the Artic, the Deputy Minister of Defence from the side of Russian Federation, and, from the DPRK side, the visits to Russia by Chairman of the Supreme People’s Assembly, Vice-Premier of the Cabinet and the First Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs – and had broad exchanges of views on the issue of bilateral relations and other international issues, all of which were aimed at promoting more closely mutual understanding and bonds and increasing the strategic cooperation for providing peace and security of the region.

Today, the friendly DPRK-Russia relations are being further consolidated and developed, as befits the interests of the peoples of the two countries based on the principle of equality and mutual respect.

It is our consistent stand to expand and develop the DPRK-Russia relations as required by the new century, and the DPRK will continue to exert all its efforts to strengthen and develop the relations of friendship between the two countries and ensure regional peace and stability in conformity with the spirit of the DPRK-Russia Joint Declaration.