Moscow and Pyongyang are striving to strengthen the bonds of comradeship and good-neighborliness, acting in the name of peace, stability and prosperity in the region, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a formal luncheon in honor of visiting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
"Our relations were established back during Korea's struggle for freedom in 1945, when Soviet and Korean soldiers shoulder to shoulder crushed the Japanese militarists. These days, too, we are striving to strengthen comradeship and good-neighborliness, acting in the name of peace, stability and prosperity in our common region," Putin said.
He said that he remembered well how, during his previous talks with Kim in Vladivostok in 2019, he exchanged views with his North Korean counterpart on the development of bilateral relations. The current visit, he said, is proceeding in a truly friendly atmosphere.
"The vast agenda, the program, provides for visits not only to the Vostochny Spaceport, but also to other major high-tech clusters, industrial enterprises and innovation centers in Russia’s Far East," Putin said.
He recalled that this year Russia and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) were marking a particularly significant anniversary: 75 years of diplomatic relations.
"The Soviet Union was the first to recognize the newly-proclaimed Democratic People's Republic of Korea," he stressed.
While addressing Kim, Putin noted that the latter "firmly and confidently follows the course laid down by an outstanding statesmen, the founder of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Comrade Kim Il Sung, and his successor, Comrade Kim Jong Il."
"They were sincere and true friends and consistent supporters of building the closest relations and ties between our countries," Putin stated.
