December 22, Beijing. (DPRK ISG Information Bureau – RSTV)   

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On December 21, an expanded meeting of the Coordination Committee of the DPRK International Solidarity Group (DPRK ISG) was held.

The meeting was chaired by the Director of the 4th Administrative Department Comrade Zheng Yutong.

Participating in the meeting were Comrade Viktor Petrov (Honorary President of the DPRK ISG, Chairman of the Russian Society for Friendship and Cultural Cooperation within the organization), Comrade Konstantin Asmolov (Director of the 2nd Scientific Department), Comrade Luan Xinlong (Head of the Chinese Executive Committee), Comrade Johannes Wittmund (Head of the European Executive Committee and the German Regional Committee), Comrade Georgy Dmitriev (Head of the Russian Executive Committee), Comrade Karen Shahnakyan (Head of the Armenian Executive Committee), Comrade Alexander Denik (Head of the Serbian Executive Committee), and Comrade Ivan Kozlov (Security Secretary to the President of the DPRK ISG, Regional Secretary in the Central Federal District of Russia). Other members of the Coordination Committee submitted written reports and participated in the meeting remotely.

First, the meeting participants were informed that, in order to confirm the democratic nature of our organization's management structure, the position of "Leader," as recorded in our charter, would be renamed to "President." The President of the DPRK International Solidarity Group is the Chairman of the Coordination Committee of the DPRK International Solidarity Group.

Then the results of the voting for the candidate for the position of President of the DPRK ISG were announced:

1. Nikita Dobrov — 9.09% (2)

Regional Secretary of the Russian Executive Committee in the Northwestern Federal District of the Russian Federation. Nominated by Alexander Mostov, joined the Russian Executive Committee of the DPRK ISG in 2020. Member of the CPRF and the LCYU RF.

2. Zheng Yutong — 86.36% (19)

Director of the 4th Administrative Department. Self-nominated candidate, joined the Chinese Executive Committee of the DPRK ISG in 2021.

3. Against all — 4.55% (1)

In accordance with the DPRK ISG Charter, a vote was held at the meeting on the election of Comrade Zheng Yutong. Results:

IN FAVOR — 95.2% (21)

AGAINST — 4.8% (1)

The decision was adopted by an overwhelming majority of votes.

Comrade Zheng Yutong addressed the activists of our organization:

"With a deep sense of honor and responsibility, I assume the duties of the new President of the DPRK International Solidarity Group. I am heartily grateful to Comrade Baburin, the former Chairman Comrade Mostov, and the Heads of all Executive Committees for the trust placed in me. I will continue to carry forward the glory of our organization and, closely rallying around the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un, together we will create new achievements on the path illuminated by the main ideology.

In the coming year, the work of our organization will focus on several key strategic directions, true to our mission of promoting peace, friendship, and anti-imperialist solidarity.

The main attention will be devoted to the following aspects: facilitating business visits and cooperation between countries, scientific and cultural exchanges, as well as work on conducting ceremonial events before and after major holidays of the DPRK. Specific plans for implementing these tasks will be developed in close consultation with all Executive Committees.

Let us move forward together with renewed determination! Let us work tirelessly to elevate the authority and effectiveness of the DPRK International Solidarity Group, making it an even stronger bastion of international friendship and a reliable partner in the common struggle for a just, multipolar world!"

Then reports by the relevant officials were presented. The following decisions were adopted at the meeting:

— The 3rd International Congress of Solidarity has been postponed to 2026.

— The formation of the Palestinian Executive Committee has begun.

— Georgy Dmitriev has been appointed Head of the Russian Executive Committee.

— The Serbian Executive Committee has been reorganized into the Serbian Regional Committee (within the European Executive Committee) due to the absence of a diplomatic mission of the DPRK on the territory of Serbia.

— A new Director of the 4th Administrative Department has been appointed.

— The "Committee of National Solidarity" has been dissolved.

— The Belarusian Executive Committee has been dissolved.

— The position of "Security Secretary to the President of the DPRK ISG" has been abolished as not conforming to the DPRK ISG Charter.

— Shin Andrey has left the DPRK ISG in connection with the resignation of Alexander Mostov.

The Directors of departments and Heads of local committees positively received the news of the election of Comrade Zheng Yutong as President of the DPRK International Solidarity Group.

★ Sergey Baburin, President of the International Association of Peace Funds (IAPF) and Director of the 1st Department of People's Diplomacy of our organization, expressed great hope that Comrade Zheng would be able to successfully reform our organization and comprehensively strengthen it.

★ Konstantin Asmolov, Director of the 2nd Scientific Department, emphasized the importance of people's diplomacy at the present stage and expressed hope that the new leadership of the DPRK ISG would maintain the course towards its promotion despite existing difficulties.

Luan Xinlong, Head of the Chinese Executive Committee, said that Comrade Zheng would certainly cope with the new duties entrusted to her.

Viktor Petrov, as Chairman of the Russian Society for Friendship and Cultural Cooperation with the DPRK, wished success to Comrade Zheng.

Murodbek Yuldoshev, Head of the Tajikistan Executive Committee, fully supported Comrade Zheng and expressed gratitude to her for having been interested in working with the Komsomol of Tajikistan even before being elected President of the DPRK ISG.

Karen Shahnakyan, Head of the Armenian Executive Committee, expressed readiness to support any decision of the DPRK ISG Coordination Committee.

Johannes Wittmund, Head of the European Executive Committee and the German Regional Committee, expressed support for the new course of our organization towards promoting scientific and business cooperation, noting that it brings a hundred times more benefit than a thousand-fold repetition of a memorized slogan.

Ivan Kozlov, Head of the Regional Committee (within the Russian Executive Committee) in the Central Federal District of the Russian Federation, wished good luck to the new leadership of the DPRK ISG.