In the historic period when the relations between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Russian Federation are developing into the relations of comprehensive strategic partnership, we are greeting the 25 th anniversary of the adoption of the DPRK-Russia Joint Declaration, a landmark milestone in developing bilateral relations in the new century.

On July 19, 2000, Chairman Kim Jong Il met with Comrade Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, President of the Russian Federation on his visit to Pyongyang. They had a frank exchange of views on the issue of developing bilateral relations as well as on international issues of common concern, and signed the historic DPRK-Russia Joint Declaration.

The Joint Declaration showed both countries’ commitment to further expansion and enrichment of cooperation across various fields including politics, economy and culture between the DPRK and the Russian Federation and to strengthening collaboration in greater scope to ensure global peace and security and achieve prosperity. The adoption of the Joint Declaration was an epoch-making event that demonstrated before the world the invincibility of the bilateral relations of friendship with a long-standing tradition.

Following the adoption of the DPRK-Russia Joint Declaration, Chairman

Kim Jong Il visited the Russian Federation on three occasions and conducted energetic external activities to further consolidate friendship and cooperation and to deepen militant unity and fraternity between the peoples of the two countries.

Chairman Kim Jong Il made significant contributions to the sound development of international relations and to ensuring global peace and security. His everlasting exploits are reliably carried forward and developed thanks to the outstanding leadership of respected Comrade Kim Jong Un .

Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un paid a congratulatory visit to the Russian embassy in the DPRK on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of Russia’s victory in the Great Patriotic War a few months ago, leaving a sacred footprint in the history of DPRK-Russia friendship and solidarity. He also met with high-level figures including Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Culture of the Russian Federation during their visits to the DPRK, thus boosting invincibility and vitality of bilateral relations in the new era.

The tireless external activities conducted by President of the State Affairs of the DPRK and several bilateral contacts and dialogues reaffirmed the will of leaderships of both countries to resolutely safeguard the common core interests and to strongly support and closely cooperate for overall expansion and development of bilateral relations as well as continued welfare of their peoples, no matter how the situation changes.

It is our consistent stand to continuously and vigorously promote the relations of comprehensive strategic partnership, that are on the track of overall development, in conformity with the idea and will of the heads of state of the two countries. The government of the DPRK will, in the future, too, make every effort to continuously develop the traditional DPRK-Russia relations, consolidated by international obligation and comradeship forged at the cost of blood, into the eternal strategic relations.