Politics

The Tuman River motor bridge linking Rason Municipality with Khasan, border cities of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation, was successfully completed at a time when bilateral multi-faceted cooperation and exchanges are further developing day by day on the firm basis of the comprehensive strategic partnership and invincible alliance.

True to the noble intention of Comrade Kim Jong Un, President of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and Comrade Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, President of the Russian Federation, the governments and builders of the two countries successfully built the bridge in a sincere manner, as required by the design and construction methods, in a matter of 495 days, out of the single desire to demonstrate the durable and future-oriented friendship and contribute to promoting the wellbeing of the peoples of the two countries.

The completion of the motor bridge, which can ensure the safe passage of various kinds of vehicles and people, has built up and reinforced the important infrastructure for economic cooperation between the two countries and provided a guarantee for revitalizing multi-faceted cooperation including people’s exchange, tourism and commodity circulation.

The monumental structure to be brilliantly recorded in the history of the DPRK-Russia friendly relations was named after Yakov Nobichenko, an officer of the Red Army and internationalist fighter. This is a manifestation of the steadfast will of the leaderships and peoples of both countries to invariably strengthen and develop the good-neighbourly relations between the two peoples into the genuinely comradely relations of trust.

The inauguration ceremony of the Tuman River motor bridge named after Yakov Nobichenko took place simultaneously in Rason Municipality, a border city of the DPRK, and Khasan, a border city of the Russian Federation, on September 7.

Pak Thae Song, premier of the Cabinet of the DPRK, and Mikhail Vladimirovich Mishustin, prime minister of the Russian Federation, respectively attended the ceremony in Pyongyang and Moscow through video-conferencing.

The ceremony was attended by Kim Tok Hun, first vice-premier of the Cabinet of the DPRK, Yun Jong Ho, minister of External Economic Relations and chairman of the DPRK side to the DPRK-Russia Inter-governmental Committee for Cooperation in Trade, Economy, Science and Technology, Yang Yong Jin, minister of Land and Environment Protection, Sin Chang Il, chairman of the Rason Municipal People's Committee, Kim Jong Gyu, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, officials concerned, builders and working people in Rason Municipality.

Also present there were Vladimir Topekha, charge d'affaires ad interim of the Russian embassy in Pyongyang, and Oleg Kosheev, Russian consul general in Chongjin.

The national anthems of the DPRK and the Russian Federation were played.

Prime Minister Mikhail Vladimirovich Mishustin made a congratulatory speech.

He noted that the cooperation on the construction of transport facilities between the two governments was an item of the agreement reached at the meeting between Comrade Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, President of the Russian Federation, and Comrade Kim Jong Un, President of the State Affairs of the DPRK, in Pyongyang two years ago, saying that they were to witness a historic event of inauguration of the motor bridge today.

The relations between Russia and the DPRK have been put on an unprecedentedly high level of comprehensive strategic partnership, he said, stating that the two countries are actively cooperating with each other in all domains and directing their efforts to ensuring the regional peace and stability.

He said that the long-standing friendship, good-neighbourliness and mutual assistance between the two countries are impervious to the international situation, adding that Russia will as ever do its utmost for the multi-faceted development of the bilateral ties.

Premier Pak Thae Song made a congratulatory speech.

He expressed heartfelt thanks to the designers, builders and personages of relevant institutions of the two countries who devoted their inexhaustible enthusiasm and efforts to bringing earlier the inauguration of the Tuman River motor bridge.

The completion of the bridge is a significant event adding new dynamism to the overall bilateral cooperation, he said, stressing that the eye-opening reality, in which the monumental wealth of the DPRK-Russia friendship and cooperation is growing, gives pleasure and joy to the peoples of the two countries while steadily injecting vitality into the development of the bilateral ties.

He noted that the governments of the two countries would continue to achieve substantial successes in the cooperation work for common development and co-prosperity, based on the valuable achievements and experience accumulated through the construction of the bridge.

According to the instructions of the heads of government of the two countries, Kim Tok Hun, first vice-premier of the DPRK Cabinet, and Vladimir Topekha, charge d'affaires ad interim of the Russian embassy to the DPRK, cut the inauguration tape at the venue of the ceremony in Rason Municipality and Alexandr Kozlov, minister of Natural Resources and Ecology of Russia who is chairman of the Russian side to the Russia-DPRK Inter-governmental Committee for Cooperation in Trade, Economy, Science and Technology, Minister of Transport Andrei Nikitin, Minister of Development of the Far East and Arctic Aleksei Chekunkov and DPRK Ambassador to Russia Sin Hong Chol at the venue of the ceremony in Khasan.

Trucks of both sides passed through the bridge amid the letting off of fireworks in congratulation of the completion of the bridge and the loud applause of the participants.

The heads of government in their concluding speeches said that the Tuman River motor bridge is a new symbol and proud creation of friendship between the two countries, expressing the unshakable stand of the two governments to actively implement the agreement made at the historic meeting between the top leaders of the two countries.

Then the participants looked round the bridge.

The inauguration of the bridge serves as a significant occasion in designing and actively implementing the equally-beneficial bilateral exchanges and long-term cooperation projects in all fields according to the outstanding foresightedness and under the strategic guidance of the top leaders of the DPRK and Russia.