Pyongyang, October 17 (KCNA) -- Aleksandr Matsegora, Russian ambassador to the DPRK, hosted a reception at the Taedonggang Diplomatic Club on October 16 on the occasion of the 77th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation.

Present there on invitation were Choe Son Hui, foreign minister of the DPRK, No Kwang Chol, minister of National Defence, Kim Song Nam, director of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, An Hyon Min, vice department director of the C.C., WPK, Kim Jong Gyu, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, and officials concerned.

Staff members of the Russian embassy were on hand.

Aleksandr Matsegora made a speech at the reception.

He said that President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and President of the State Affairs Kim Jong Un put the Russia-DPRK relations on a reliable and firm basis of complete mutual understanding and mutual support related to the most urgent issues of the two countries.

He said that he was greatly impressed by the scale and remarkable strength of the celebrations of the 80th founding anniversary of the WPK. And he affirmed that the Russian people would always remember the feats of service personnel of the Korean People's Army, saying that he can not still now repress his joy and emotion when he remembers the parade column of overseas military operations units marching past Kim Il Sung Square with the national flags of the two countries in their hands.

He called for not being carried away by the successes already made but courageously advancing toward the future for greater achievements in the multi-faceted bilateral exchange and cooperation in all fields including politics, economy and culture, firmly joining hands with each other.

Next, Choe Son Hui made a speech.

She referred to the fact that the friendly and cooperative relations between the DPRK and Russia have entered a new era of overall efflorescence thanks to Kim Jong Un, president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, president of the Russian Federation.

She said that the bilateral relations are developing vigorously with unprecedented width and depth on the basis of the treaty on comprehensive strategic partnership.

She said that it is the steadfast will of the DPRK government to strongly push ahead with the DPRK-Russia good neighbourly relations and closely support and solidarize with Russia in the course of creating the steady wellbeing and beautiful future of the peoples of the two countries, adding that the DPRK would do everything to promote the overall development of the bilateral relations and further strengthen strategic and tactical cooperation in the future, too.

The participants in the reception toasted the good health of the heads of state of the two countries and the steady development of the traditional relations of friendship and cooperation and the alliance between the peoples of the two countries. -0-