Pyongyang, June 18 (KCNA) -- V. Putin, president of the Russian Federation, released an article titled "Russia and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea: Tradition of friendship and cooperation lasts decade after decade".

V. Putin in an article said that he would like to tell the readers of Rodong Sinmun in the DPRK and abroad about the prospect of the partnership between the two countries and its significance in the present world before paying a state visit to the DPRK.

The friendship and good neighborly relations between Russia and the DPRK based on the principles of equality, mutual respect and trust have passed 70 years and been recorded with the glorious historic tradition, the article said, and went on:

The people of the two countries preciously cherish the memory of the hard-fought common struggle against Japanese militarism and pay tribute to the heroes who fell victims.

The monument on Moran Hill erected in the center of Pyongyang in 1946 in commemoration of the liberation of Korea by the Red Army is a symbol of militant friendship between the peoples of the two countries.

The Soviet Union recognized the young DPRK for the first time in the world and established diplomatic relations with the DPRK.

The agreement on economic and cultural cooperation between the Soviet Union and the DPRK was concluded on March 17, 1949 when Comrade Kim Il Sung , founder of the DPRK, visited Moscow for the first time, and the agreement laid a legal foundation for boosting bilateral cooperation in the future.

Even in the difficult period of the 1950-1953 Fatherland Liberation War, the Soviet Union rendered assistance to the DPRK people and supported them in their struggle for independence.

My visit to Pyongyang in 2000 and the visit to Russia next year by Comrade Kim Jong Il , chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK, served as a new and important milestone in the relations between the two countries.

The bilateral declarations issued at that time had defined the main stand and orientations of our creative and many-sided partnership in the future.

Comrade Kim Jong Un , the present leader of the DPRK, is confidently adhering to the line laid down by Comrades Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il , the preceding leaders, distinguished statesmen and friends of the Russian people.

I was convinced of this once again during our meeting at the Vostochny Spaceport of Russia in September last year.

As before, Russia and the DPRK are now actively developing the many-sided partnership.

We highly appreciate that the DPRK is firmly supporting the special military operations of Russia being conducted in Ukraine, expressing solidarity with us on major international issues and maintaining the common line and stand at the UN.

As our reliable comrade and supporter yesterday and today, Pyongyang is willing to resolutely oppose the ambition of the "Western group" to hinder the establishment of a multi-polarized world order based on mutual respect for justice and sovereignty and consideration of mutual interests.

In essence, the U.S. is making every desperate effort to impose on the world the so-called "order based on rules" which is nothing but a world-wide neocolonialist dictatorship based on the "double standards".

The U.S. and its followers are openly claiming that their aim is to deal "strategic defeat" to Russia.

They are doing everything they can do to delay and further aggravate the conflicts in Ukraine triggered by them by backing and fabricating the armed coup in Kiev in 2014 and the war in the Donbas area afterward.

Russia is ready to have an equal dialogue on all the most complicated issues in the past and in the future, too.

I mentioned this again at a recent meeting with Russian diplomats in Moscow.

Meanwhile, our enemies are conversely continue to supply neo-Nazi Kiev authorities with money, weapons and reconnaissance data, allowing modern weapons and technical equipment offered by the West to be used for attacking the Russian territory and, in fact, encouraging them.

But although they make desperate efforts, all their attempts to repress and isolate Russia have been frustrated.

We are pleased that the friends of the DPRK are defending their interests very effectively despite the U.S. economic pressure, provocation, blackmail and military threats that have lasted for decades.

We are seeing the DPRK people fight to defend their freedom, sovereignty and national traditions with what strength, dignity and courage.

Russia has supported the DPRK and its heroic people in the struggle to defend their rights to choose the road of independence, originality and development by themselves in the confrontation with the cunning, dangerous and aggressive enemy yesterday and tomorrow, too, and will invariably support them in the future, too.

We are firmly convinced that we will put bilateral cooperation onto a higher level with our joint efforts and this will contribute to developing reciprocal and equal cooperation between Russia and the DPRK, strengthening our sovereignty, deepening economic and trade relations, developing the ties in the field of humanitarianism and, consequently, improving the well-being of the citizens of the two states.

The article wished Comrade Kim Jong Un good health and all the friendly DPRK people great success on the road of peace and development. -0-

www.kcna.kp (Juche113.6.18.)