The DPRK Foreign Minister’s assistant office on Jan. 20 made public the following press release as regards the results of her visit to the Russian Federation:

The government delegation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea headed by Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui paid an official visit to the Russian Federation from January 15 to 17, 2024 at the invitation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at a time when the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries have definitely entered the course of a new comprehensive development.

During the visit, Choe Son Hui paid a courtesy call on Russian President Vladimir Putin, had a talk with her counterpart Sergei Lavrov and met with Alexandr Nobak, deputy prime minister of the Russian Federation.

Choe Son Hui courteously conveyed warm greetings of Kim Jong Un, president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, to Vladimir Putin, president of the Russian Federation, and President Putin asked her to convey his New Year greetings to President of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Kim Jong Un.

President Putin expressed deep thanks once again for the invitation of President of the State Affairs Kim Jong Un to visit Pyongyang at a convenient time and expressed his willingness to visit the DPRK at an early date.

During the visit both sides discussed the issues of continuously taking practical action measures for comprehensively and thoroughly implementing the agreements reached at the historic DPRK-Russia summit held in September 2023 and of ushering in a new efflorescence of the DPRK-Russia friendship by vitalizing bilateral exchange and cooperation in all fields this year marking the 75th anniversary of the conclusion of the agreement on the DPRK-Russia economic and cultural cooperation.

Both sides also had deep strategic communication on various regional and international issues including the Korean peninsula and Northeast Asia and reached a consensus of views on them. They expressed their strong will to further strengthen strategic and tactical cooperation in defending the core interests of the two countries and establishing a new multi-polarized international order based on independence and justice.

Both sides recognized that the friendly and cooperative relations between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation, independent sovereign states, serve as a powerful strategic fortress and a traction engine in defending international peace and security and promoting the building of a multi-polarized world. They also reached a consensus and satisfactory agreement in the discussion of practical issues of putting the bilateral relations on a new legal basis in the direction of strategic development and expanding and developing them in an all-round way.

The DPRK side highly appreciated the important mission and role of the powerful Russian Federation in maintaining the strategic stability and balance of the world and expressed expectation that the Russian Federation would continue to adhere to independent policies and lines in all fields in the future, too, and thus make a great contribution to international peace and security and the establishment of an equal and fair international order.

The Russian Federation side expressed deep thanks to the DPRK for extending full support and solidarity to the stand of the Russian government and people on the special military operation in Ukraine.

Both sides expressed serious concern over the negative influence of the U.S. and its allied forces’ irresponsible and unjust provocative acts, which seriously threaten the security environment of the Korean peninsula and the sovereign right and security interests of the DPRK in particular, on the peace and security of the region and the rest of the world, and agreed to deal with the regional situation through close cooperation and concerted action of foreign policy bodies of the two countries based on the spirit of the UN Charter and other international laws.

The DPRK foreign minister’s successful visit to the Russian Federation, which was held as part of the practical implementation of the agreement reached at the historic DPRK-Russia summit in September 2023, serves as an important step for promoting the reliable development of the strategic and future-oriented DPRK-Russia relations.

The DPRK government warmly welcomes President Putin to visit Pyongyang and is ready to greet the Korean people’s closest friend with the greatest sincerity.

The traditional relations of friendship and cooperation between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation, which have been consolidated in all trials and storms of history, will steadily develop into the invincible comradely relations and the eternal strategic relations under the deep friendship and special care of Kim Jong Un, president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and Vladimir Putin, president of the Russian Federation.

Rodong Sinmun