A reception was given jointly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the embassy of the Russian Federation in the DPRK on the 19th on the occasion of the first anniversary of the historic DPRK-Russia summit meeting in Pyongyang and the conclusion of the treaty on comprehensive strategic partnership between the DPRK and the Russian Federation.

Present at the reception were Choe Son Hui, Foreign Minister of the DPRK, Jo Yong Won and Ri Hi Yong, Secretaries of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, No Kwang Chol, Minister of National Defense of the DPRK, and other leading officials of the Party, the government and the military, and officials of the Party Central Committee, ministries and armed forces organs.

Also on hand were Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Alexandr Matsegora and other staff members of the Russian embassy.

Choe Son Hui made a speech at the reception.

She said:

At the crucial time when the whole world is experiencing unheard-of rapid changes, a new inter-national treaty confirming a new strategic path of relations between the DPRK and Russia and convincing of its victory has come into being, which is a brilliant fruition brought by the outstanding foresightedness, resolute determination and experienced leadership ability of the heads of state of the two countries.

Unchangeable is the stand of the DPRK government to closely cooperate with the Russian Federation many-sidedly in different fields in the spirit of the new inter-national treaty and vigorously promote the development of the DPRK-Russia relations for constant welfare and beautiful future of the two peoples.

She expressed the belief that the relations of alliance between the DPRK and Russia greeting a great heyday would continue to be invariably inherited in the future, too, and the militant comradeship between the two countries established in the grand journey of opening a new charter of friendship would promise the peoples and coming generations of both countries a brighter future.

Next, Alexandr Matsegora made a speech.

He referred to the conclusion of a treaty in Pyongyang a year ago that put the relations between the Russian Federation and the DPRK on a high stage and gave them a completely new peculiarity, and continued:

In recent history of tens of years there has been no time that the two countries witnessed such close and deep mutual understanding and trust.

The solid relations between Russia and the DPRK were verified and strengthened in the flames of the bloody war whose victory was achieved by the excellent sons of the two peoples by fighting a fierce battle against the common enemy shoulder to shoulder. Russia will never forget the feats of service personnel of the Korean People's Army who honoured the colours as an undying glory displaying miraculous heroism in the battlefield of Kursk Region as they defended their country.

He expressed the belief that the tasks for developing the bilateral relations presented by the leaders of the two countries would be surely carried out despite all the obstacles and thus the Russia-DPRK relations would be more significantly and powerfully developed.