Comrade Aleksandr Matsegora, Russian Ambassador to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), hosted a reception at the Taedonggang Diplomatic Club on October 16 on the occasion of the 77 th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the DPRK and the Russian Federation.

Present there on invitation were Comrade Choe Son Hui, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the DPRK, Comrade No Kwang Chol, Minister of National Defence, Comrade Kim Song Nam and Comrade An Hyon Min, Director and Vice-Director of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, Comrade Kim Jong Gyu, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, and officials concerned.

Staff members of the Russian embassy were on hand.

Comrade Aleksandr Matsegora made a speech at the reception.

He said that President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and Comrade Kim Jong Un , President of the State Affairs, put the Russia-DPRK relations on a reliable and firm basis of complete mutual understanding and mutual support related to the most urgent issues of the two countries.

He said that he was greatly impressed by the scale and remarkable strength of the celebrations of the 80 th founding anniversary of the Workers’ Party of Korea. And he affirmed that the Russian people would always remember the feats of service personnel of the Korean People’s Army, saying that he cannot repress his joy and emotion when he recalls the parade column of overseas military operations units marching past Kim Il Sung Square with the national flags of the two countries in their hands.

He called for not being carried away by the successes already made but courageously advancing toward the future for greater achievements in the multi-faceted bilateral exchange and cooperation in all fields including politics, economy and culture, firmly joining hands with each other.

Next, Comrade Choe Son Hui made a speech.

She referred to the fact that the friendly and cooperative relations between the DPRK and Russia have entered a new era of overall efflorescence thanks to Comrade Kim Jong Un , President of the State Affairs of the DPRK, and Comrade Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, President of the Russian Federation.

She said that the bilateral relations are developing vigorously in unprecedented scope and depth on the basis of the treaty on comprehensive strategic partnership.

She said that it is the steadfast will of the DPRK government to strongly push ahead with the DPRK-Russia good neighbourly relations and closely support and solidarize with Russia in the course of creating the steady wellbeing and beautiful future for the peoples of the two countries, adding that the DPRK would do everything to promote the overall development of the bilateral relations and further strengthen strategic and tactical cooperation in the future, too.

The participants in the reception toasted the good health of the heads of state of the two countries and the steady development of the traditional relations of friendship and cooperation and the alliance between the peoples of the two countries.