Opinion

Chairman Kim Jong Il paid an unofficial visit to the Siberian and Far East regions of the Russian Federation at the invitation of Russian President Dmitri Anatoliyevich Medvedev from August 20 to 25 2011.

He met with the Russian President in Ulan-Ude, the capital of the Republic of Buryatia of Russia.

President Medvedev said that Kim Jong Il's third visit to Russia in the new century clearly proved how much importance he attached to the Russia-DPRK friendship, paying high tribute to him who was making an immortal contribution to the development of bilateral friendship.

At the talks the leaders of the two countries said in unison that to further consolidate and develop friendly and cooperative relations between the DPRK and Russia with the long historical tradition not only conforms with the desire and fundamental interests of the peoples of the two countries but also is of great significance in developing Northeast Asia and defending peace and security of the world.

The talks stressed the need to expand and strengthen friendship and relations of equal and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries on the basis of the spirit of the DPRK-Russia Joint Declaration signed in Pyongyang in 2000, the DPRK-Russia Moscow Declaration in 2001 and the Treaty on Friendship, Good-neighbourliness and Cooperation between the DPRK and the Russian Federation.

Kim Jong Il expressed thanks again to President Medvedev, the Russian government and people for offering warm hospitality with utmost sincerity during his visit and wished them fresh success in their efforts for the country’s economic development and the people's wellbeing.

He visited several cities and many units in the Siberian and Far East regions of the Russian Federation for six days.

The 6 000km-long journey he made to the Siberian and Far East regions of the Russian Federation was a significant visit which consolidated and developed the traditional DPRK-Russia friendship onto a new high stage.

The traditional DPRK-Russia friendship is being further carried forward and developed under the leadership of the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un. He visited the Russian Federation in April 2019 to have the historic first meeting with President Putin and further strengthen the strategic and traditional ties of friendship between the two countries. They had an open-minded and meaningful dialogue on the development of the bilateral friendly relations and international issues of common concern and reached a consensus of views.

The DPRK-Russia friendship was clearly demonstrated once again as the military delegation of the Russian Federation took part in the celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the Korean people's victory in the great Fatherland Liberation War.

The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un gave a cordial welcome to the military delegation of the Russian Federation led by Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.

As he met the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un, Defence Minister Shoigu courteously conveyed the personal letter from President Putin to him. The meeting of the DPRK leader and the Russian defence minister on an important occasion was an event of great significance in boosting the strategic and traditional DPRK-Russia relations as required by the new century and further promoting the strategic and tactical collaboration and cooperation between the two countries in the fields of national defence and security to cope with the rapidly changing regional and international security environment.

The Korean people express full support to the just cause of the Russian people to defend the sovereignty, territorial integrity and strategic security of the country and sincerely hope that Russia will achieve greater successes in its effort for building a powerful state.

The DPRK-Russia friendship will continue to develop under any circumstances thanks to the friendly relations between the top leaders of the two countries.