Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Reception Given by Russian Charge d'Affaires

Korean Central News Agency of DPRK via Korea News Service (KNS)

    Pyongyang, March 17 (KCNA) -- The agreement on the economic and cultural cooperation between Russia and the DPRK provided a solid foundation for cooperation between the two countries. Alexander Matsegora, Russian charge d'affaires ad interim in Pyongyang, said this, addressing a reception given at the Taedonggang Club for the Diplomatic Corps on March 16 on the occasion of the 57th anniversary of the conclusion of the agreement. The charge d'affaires ad interim, speaking at the reception, said that the principles of bilateral cooperation laid down in the agreement which calls for development in the economic and cultural fields of the two countries have made new progress through the Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighborliness and Cooperation between the two countries, the Russia-DPRK Joint Declaration and the Moscow Declaration and they were reaffirmed at the meetings of Chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK Kim Jong Il and President Putin who are the top leaders of the two countries. He wished the Korean people greater success in the work to build a great prosperous powerful socialist nation and augment the economic potential of the DPRK and promote the wellbeing of the working people.
    Vice-Premier of the Cabinet Ro Tu Chol, speaking next at the reception, said that the agreement on economic and cultural cooperation, the first inter-governmental agreement, concluded between the two countries has made a great contribution to boosting the friendship and cooperation between them.
    He pointed out that the work to rejuvenate cooperation between the two countries in the political, economic, cultural and various other fields is making headway under the particular care of the two top leaders.
    We will make positive efforts to successfully boost the bilateral cooperative relations in various fields in the spirit of the DPRK-Russia Moscow Declaration and the state-to-state treaty this significant year which marks the fifth anniversary of Kim Jong Il's visit to the Russian Federation, he noted, wishing the leadership and people of Russia fresh success in the work to build a powerful state and a multi-polar new world.
    Present on invitation were Minister of Foreign Trade Rim Kyong Man, Vice-minister of Foreign Affairs Kung Sok Ung, Hong Son Ok, vice-chairwoman of the Korean Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries who is chairwoman of the Korean-Russian Friendship Association and officials concerned and on hand were staff members of the Russian embassy here.