Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's speech at a formal reception hosted by the Government of the DPRK, Pyongyang, October 18, 2023
18 October 2023 17:26
2085-18-10-2023
Esteemed Comrade Choe Son Hui,
Friends,
Our meeting is taking place several days after the 75th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between our country and the DPRK. I would like to once again extend my congratulations to all of us on this momentous occasion.
Today, as always, we pay tribute to the founder of the DPRK Comrade Kim Il-sung who played a pivotal role in the early days of Russian-Korean relations, and to Comrade Kim Jong-il who made an invaluable contribution to developing and strengthening our friendship. The Foreign Minister of the DPRK has just mentioned how 75 years ago the Soviet Union played a key role in liberating Korea from Japanese colonial rule and was the first to recognise the young Korean state, and provided assistance in the building of its national economy, science, culture, and education.
To our great mutual regret, events in recent years have shown that Japanese militarism and US hegemony have not disappeared. Western colonialism remains the main goal and focus for Europeans, Americans, and Japanese. In these circumstances, our solidarity relying on historical and fraternal ties, has taken on special importance. Comrade Minister just mentioned the war that the West, led by the United States, has unleashed against the Russian Federation with the direct involvement of an overtly Nazi Ukrainian regime.
We deeply value your unwavering and principled support for Russia's actions in the context of the special military operation in Ukraine, as well as your recognition of the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics, along with Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, becoming part of the Russian Federation. We are fully aware that many countries worldwide share similar viewpoints and assessments, but only a select few, such as the DPRK, explicitly declare their solidarity with Russia and can express it openly. This ability is a hallmark of nations and governments that are truly independent, prioritise their national interests, and not fall for the tricks played by our Western counterparts.
Likewise, the Russian Federation extends its complete support and solidarity with the aspirations of the DPRK led by Chairman of State Affairs Comrade Kim Jong-un in upholding its independence, and the people's right to self-determination and their chosen paths of development. This mutual solidarity and shared commitment to advancing our comprehensive strategic partnership was on full display during the historic summit between President Vladimir Putin and Chairman Kim Jong-un at the Vostochny Cosmodrome last month.
The outcomes of these talks reaffirmed the broad convergence of our approaches to key global issues and demonstrated our mutual, genuine, and profound interest in further enhancing comprehensive cooperation for the benefit of our respective nations.
This visit offers a valuable opportunity to thoroughly review each of the agreements made at the top level during the Vostochny Cosmodrome summit and outline practical steps to ensure the full implementation and realisation of these agreements by our leaders.
I propose a toast to Chairman of State Affairs Comrade Kim Jong-un and President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, to Comrade Minister of Foreign Affairs of the DPRK Choi Son Hui, and to all our North Korean friends, and all those present.
Here's to our friendship!
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