June 24 this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the DPRK and Laos.

The close friendly relations between the DPRK and Laos with a long history and tradition have steadily developed for the accomplishment of the common cause for the interests of the peoples of the two countries and their social progress with the passage of time.

This is unthinkable apart from the undying exploits performed by the preceding leaders of the two countries for the development of the bilateral friendly relations.

President Kim Il Sung met with Comrade Kaysone Phomvihane in Pyongyang in 1965 for the first time and gave him valuable advice the Lao party should regard as guidelines in leading the Laotian people’s anti-US national salvation struggle to victory.

In the course of it, Kim Il Sung established personal relations with Kaysone Phomvihane and created a new history and tradition of the DPRK-Laos friendship developing under the banner of anti-imperialist independence and socialism.

Later, Kim Il Sung offered active support and encouragement to the Lao people who were struggling for national liberation and the building of a new society under the leadership of Kaysone Phomvihane, adding lustre to the relations between the two countries as a noble history of comradely friendship.

The President and Chairman Kim Jong Il, together with the leaders of different generations of Laos, creditably developed the traditional bilateral relations of friendship and cooperation in the joint struggle for socialism decade after decade.

Kim Jong Il further deepened the ties between the DPRK and Laos. In September 2011, the last year of his life, he had a significant meeting with Choummaly Saygnasone, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and president of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, on his visit to the DPRK, making a great contribution to bolstering up the friendly and cooperative relations between the two parties and the two countries.

The friendly and cooperative relations between the DPRK and Laos, which have been steadily consolidated and developed from one century to the next, continue to be cemented on a new stage under the deep care of the top leaders of the two parties and two countries.

The peoples of the two countries work hard to widely expand the bilateral relations while strengthening mutual support and cooperation in their common interests despite the complicated international situation.

There have been conducted different types of visits, contacts and exchanges between the two countries, including the visit of a delegation of the Workers’ Party of Korea to Laos and the visit of a delegation of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party to the DPRK.

The DPRK-Laos friendship will invariably grow stronger in the struggle of the peoples of the two countries for accomplishing the socialist cause.

The Korean people fully support the cause of the Laotian people who are victoriously advancing socialist construction in order to attain their fighting goals set forth by the 11th Congress of the LPRP while overcoming all the challenges and difficulties and extend firm solidarity to them.