The Russian embassy in Pyongyang hosted a reception at Yanggakdo International Hotel on May 8 evening on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of Russia’s victory in the Great Patriotic War.

Present there on invitation were Pak Jong Chon, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers’ Party of Korea and secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, Choe Son Hui, foreign minister of the DPRK, No Kwang Chol, minister of National Defence, and other senior Party and government officials and officials of ministries, national agencies and armed forces organs.

Also present there on invitation were members of the diplomatic corps in the DPRK and leading members of the government delegation of the Republic of Belarus led by Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Shuleiko.

Attending the reception were Alexandr Matsegora, Russian ambassador to the DPRK, Alexei Bartusov, military attache, and members of the embassy.

Alexandr Matsegora made a speech at the reception.

Referring to the historic significance of the victory in the Great Patriotic War which defeated fascism, he said that a great many service personnel and people of Russia fought for this victory at the cost of their lives.

Denouncing the Western moves to deny the history of World War II, revive Nazism and inflict a strategic defeat on Russia, he stressed that they cannot defeat Russia in the future, too, as it did not in the past.

He said that Comrade Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, president of the Russian Federation, highly appreciated the bravery, self-sacrificing spirit and fighting efficiency of the Korean comrades-in-arms who played a very big role in the operations for liberating the Kursk area and expressed deep thanks to Comrade Kim Jong Un , president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and the leadership and the people of the DPRK.

He said that the liberated cities, villages and plazas, where the beautiful monuments to the Korean heroes who performed feats to be kept forever in the hearts of the Russian people will be built, would be named after them, adding that the operations for liberating the Kursk area proved that the Russian Federation and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea are a comprehensive strategic partnership and allies.

Next, No Kwang Chol made a speech.

He paid high tribute to the victorious wartime generation that provided the day of great victory and glory to Russia and extended a militant salute to the officers and men of the Russian army who are devoting their all to the sacred war for defending the dignity of the country and the security of the people and realizing international justice.

Russia’s victory in the Great Patriotic War is a world-historic event that defended the dignity and honour of the country, saved mankind from the destiny of ruin and made a great contribution to bringing the current of freedom and peace to the planet, he said.

He said that the good tradition of the long-standing DPRK-Russia friendship is being developed day by day on an extraordinarily high level, fully demonstrating its peculiar invincibility and vitality under the special care of the top leaders of the two countries.

He stressed that the Korean People’s Army would as ever invariably support the actions of the Russian army to defend the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of the state, expressing belief that the army and people of Russia would win victory again this year, the “Year of Defenders of the Motherland.”

The participants in the reception toasted the health of Comrade Kim Jong Un , president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the health of Comrade Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, president of the Russian Federation, and the great victory.

KCNA