opinion

The DPRK-Russia friendly relations, which have steadily developed decade after decade and from one century to the next with long historical roots, are to mark an important watershed in their history.

Comprehensive strategic partnership

On December 4 2024, the Treaty on the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the DPRK and the Russian Federation came into force. The ratification instruments of the treaty were exchanged in Moscow.

It provided a legal framework for putting the bilateral relations on a new strategic height and building powerful states while firmly defending the security environment of the region and the world in the common interests of the two countries.

The close DPRK-Russia ties based on the Treaty on the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will serve as a powerful driving force to accelerate the establishment of an independent and just multipolar world order free from domination, subjugation and hegemony.

The birth of the new inter-state treaty setting the strategic path to be followed by the two countries and further convincing them of the victory in their cause is a brilliant fruition of the outstanding foresight, political will and decision of the heads of state of the two countries.

With comradely friendship and trust

High-level talks continued to take place between the two countries this year.

The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un met Alexandr Kozlov, minister of Natural Resources and Ecology, on a visit to the DPRK heading the Russian government delegation on November 18.

On November 29 he had a friendly and trustworthy talk with Andrei Beloussov, minister of Defence of the Russian Federation. At the talk the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un reaffirmed that the DPRK government, army and people would invariably support the policy of the Russian Federation to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity from the moves of the imperialists for hegemony in the future, too, and Pyongyang would always be on the side of Moscow.

Choe Son Hui, foreign minister of the DPRK, met Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, president of the Russian Federation, in Moscow. In the meeting they had a good talk over many projects for steadily developing the relations between the two countries and reaffirmed the will to further consolidate the DPRK-Russia friendship which was put on the track of new all-round development.

The close ties between the DPRK and the Russian Federation, whose common ideal is to achieve independence and justice, are growing stronger day by day, entering a period of overall efflorescence amid the special comradely friendship and trust between the heads of state of the two countries.

Multi-faceted exchanges and cooperation

2024 is the year marking the 75th anniversary of the conclusion of the agreement on economic and cultural cooperation between the DPRK and Russia.

The many-sided exchanges and cooperation between the two countries got closer in this significant year.

They signed an agreement on exchanges and cooperation between the Pyongyang Municipal Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea and the Moscow City branch of the United Russia Party, an agreement on cooperation in the field of post and telecommunications, information technology and digital development between the Ministry of Information Industry of the DPRK and the Ministry of Digital Development, Post and Telecommunications and Public Information of the Russian Federation and a protocol on sports exchanges in 2025 between the sports ministries of the two countries.

There was the 11th meeting of the DPRK-Russia Inter-governmental Committee for Cooperation in Trade, Economy, Science and Technology. The meeting reviewed the implementation of the protocol of the 10th meeting held last year and discussed in detail the items for multi-faceted bilateral cooperation in different fields including electric power, agriculture, science and technology, education, public health and tourism.

The DPRK-Russia IT products exhibition-2024 held in Pyongyang marked a significant occasion in boosting exchanges and cooperation between the two countries.

There were also frequent exchange visits of delegations between the two countries in various fields including science and technology, forestry, fisheries and culture.

Young people and children cement friendship

Meetings and joint celebrations took place in the DPRK and Russia this year, demonstrating the unity and bonds between young people of the two countries. In a performance given by the artistic information squad of the Central Committee of the Socialist Patriotic Youth League (of Korea) at the DPRK-Russia friendship gathering, young people of the two countries held a lively dance party and deepened friendly feelings with each other.

The first DPRK-Russia children's friendship camping took place at the Songdowon International Children's Camp in summer. During the camping, the children of the two countries conducted various activities including the "Day of the DPRK", "Day of Russia" and "Night of Friendship" meetings, a stage of talented children, quiz contest, national food cooking contest and children's friendship sports meeting. The Taekwon-Do and other extracurricular groups were also run.

The days of camping were cherished as a precious memory in the minds of schoolchildren of the two countries who cultivated friendship while singing songs of friendship and dancing together.