Opinion

Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, visited Russia’s coastal city of Vladivostok between April 24 and 26 in 2019 and had a significant meeting with Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, president of the Russian Federation.

The Korean leader’s first visit to the Russian Federation was a historic event that signalled a new turning point in DPRK-Russia friendship.

The DPRK and Russia have a long history and tradition in their friendly relations.

Peoples of the two countries forged a strong bond with the affection of comrade-in-arms in the course of the joint struggle during the anti-Japanese war. 

During the war, Commander Kim Il Sung undertook military operations to defend the Soviet Union under the slogan of “Let Us Defend the Soviet Union with Arms!” and its Red Army soldiers dedicated their blood in the fight for the liberation of Korea.

The two peoples have maintained the feeling of friendship as they cooperated with each other for decades despite the storms of history.

Kim Jong Un set out on the journey to Russia in order to reaffirm the invariable friendly relationship between the two countries and lay the cornerstone for the bilateral ties in the new era.

Devoting especially close attention to his visit, Putin went to the border city far away from the capital city of Moscow to warmly receive him and offer him sincere hospitality.

Through the meeting with the Russian President, he made an intimate acquaintance with him and further strengthened the bond of DPRK-Russia relationship.

At the summit meeting and talks, an agreement was reached on promoting strategic communication and tactical collaboration in the process of ushering in a new heyday in the development of bilateral relations and maintaining peace and security on the Korean peninsula and in the region, which demonstrated to the international community the will and stand of the two countries to push ahead with the historic cause of cementing and soundly developing the bilateral friendship, maintaining global peace and security and building a just new world.

In accordance with the spirit of the agreement, the two countries have fostered cooperation and exchanges by courageously overcoming all hardships, challenges and obstructive moves from within and without. 

While keeping step with each other in major affairs of international relations, they strive to keep peace and security in Northeast Asia and the rest of the world and establish a fair international order.

It is the consistent stand of the DPRK government to strengthen and develop in an all-round way the ties of good neighbourliness and cooperation with Russia in line with the agreement reached at the DPRK-Russia summit meeting.

Today, the Russian people are making positive efforts to defend their country’s strategic interests in the face of all manner of ceaseless challenges from inside and outside.

The Korean people hope they would achieve success in their efforts to build a powerful and developed Russia by surmounting all challenges and difficulties under the correct leadership of President Putin.