Moscow, March 15 (DPRK ISG Information Bureau - RSTV)   

[English] [Русский]

On February 12, a gala evening dedicated to the 83rd anniversary of the birth of the Great Leader Comrade Kim Jong Il was held at the Moscow House of Public Organizations.

This event was organized by the Russian Society for Friendship and Cultural Cooperation with the DPRK, part of the DPRK ISG, and the My Genealogy Foundation with the support of the Korean Embassy and the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Ivan Kulnev, General Director of the My Genealogy Foundation, personally came out to greet the guests with bread and salt on the occasion of the Day of the Star, one of the greatest holidays of progressive humanity.

On our side, comrades Ri Yong Jing (Plenipotentiary Minister of the DPRK Embassy), Viktor Petrov (Deputy Chairman of the Coordination Committee and Director of the 1st Department of People's Diplomacy of the DPRK ISG, Chairman of the Russian Society of Friendship and Cultural Cooperation with the DPRK), senior officials of the DPRK MFA and people's diplomacy participated.

Distinguished guests participated: Alexander Rolik (Senator of the Russian Federation), Viktor Sobolev (Deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation), Maxim Volkov (Deputy Director of the 1st Department of Asia of the Russian MFA), Anastasia Sibileva (Head of the International Relations Department of the Department of Foreign Economic and International Relations of Moscow), Valery Baranov (Inspector General of the Russian Ministry of Defense), Yulia Davydova (Vice-Rector for International Activities of the Moscow Polytechnic University), Valentin Ignatiev (Director of the Center for Strategic Cooperation of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry), Vladimir Vakarenko (Director for the Development of International Relations of the My Genealogy Foundation).

Representatives of public organizations and businesses were also present.

The speakers noted one after another that cooperation between Russia and the DPRK has a long history and is based on the traditions of friendship and good neighborliness.

The speeches emphasized:

"In 1948, the USSR was the first to establish diplomatic relations with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. And now our cooperation is developing within the framework of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty signed in June last year by the leaders of Russia and the DPRK, Vladimir Putin and Comrade Kim Jong Un.

Joint inter-parliamentary work through the Cooperation Group of the Federation Council with the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK is also of great importance for strengthening friendly relations between our countries."

After the reports, a concert and banquet were held in honor of the holiday.