The Ministry of National Defence of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea gave a reception on the 26th in honour of the military delegation of the Russian Federation on a visit to the DPRK on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the victory in the Fatherland Liberation War.

Invited to the reception were members of the military delegation of the Russian Federation led by Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Alexander Matsegora, Russian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the DPRK.

Present there were Kang Sun Nam, Minister of National Defence of the DPRK, Jong Kyong Thaek, Director of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People's Army, Pak Su Il, Chief of the General Staff of the KPA and other commanding officers of the Ministry of National Defence, and Vice-Foreign Minister Im Chon Il.

Addressing the reception, Kang Sun Nam warmly welcomed once again Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu who visited Pyongyang in the significant period of grandly celebrating the 70th anniversary of the victory in the great Fatherland Liberation War. And he stressed that this visit of Sergei Shoigu will serve as a meaningful occasion of demonstrating the might of militant unity of the armies and peoples of the two countries which was formed in the historic struggle against the common enemy and further cemented on the common front against the aggressive war moves of the hostile forces.

He expressed full support to the just struggle of the Russian army and people for defending the sovereignty and security of the country, reaffirmed the stand of the Korean army to keep closer cooperation and solidarity in the same trench for the anti-imperialist struggle and sincerely wished them a success in building a powerful Russia under the leadership of President Putin.

Sergei Shoigu, in his speech, expressed thanks to the Korean army and people for their warm hospitality and warmly congratulated the 70th anniversary of the victory in the Fatherland Liberation War.

He said the KPA, which is gloriously carrying forward the militant tradition of the respected generation, is not only preventing the threat of outside forces reliably but also taking an active part in the work for the economic construction and the improvement of the people's living. He emphasized that the KPA firmly united behind the Supreme Commander has become the most powerful army in the world by constantly strengthening its might while glorifying the heroic feats performed in the Fatherland Liberation War.

He expressed the belief that the Korean people would achieve fresh successes in their struggle for building a powerful country and the will of the Russian Federation to strengthen many-sided cooperation with the DPRK.