DPRK holds concert for 10th anniversary of Kim Jon Il visit to RF

PYONGYANG, August 2 (Itar-Tass) - Korean and Russian songs were sung
at Pyongyang sports complex on Tuesday as a concert to mark the 10th
anniversary of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's visit to Russia and the
signing of the Moscow Declaration was held there. The performance by
artists from the State Art Ensemble of DPRK that sung in Russian such
popular songs with the local audience as "Eh, Dorogi" ("Oh, These Roads")
and "Pervym Delom Samolety" ("Airplanes Come First"), was organised at the
initiative of the Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries
of North Korea. A delegation of the Russkiy Mir Foundation that arrived
here from Moscow, officials of the RF diplomatic mission in Pyongyang with
Ambassador Valery Sukhinin in the head and Korean public were present in
the hall.
Speaking before the concert, Director of the Commission's European
division Ryu Sung Rim stressed that the visit of Kim Jong Il to Russia in
2001 "had a historical significance," became a "new turning point in
strengthening and developing the traditional DPRK-Russian friendship."
Over the past ten years, cooperation between the two countries "has been
successfully developed in many spheres," he added.
A photo and book exhibition dedicated to the trip of the North Korean
leader to Russia has opened in the Palace of Culture in Pyongyang. "All
the books brought to the exhibition after its completion will be donated
to the Society of the DPRK-Russia Friendship," Director of Regional
Programmes of Russkiy Mir Foundation, a renowned scholar in Korean studies
Georgy Toloraya told Itar-Tass. Among the books there is artistic,
scientific and technical specialised literature, dictionaries for Korean
translators.
During his 20-day trip to Russia in 2001, Kim Jong Il twice met with
the then President of Russia Vladimir Putin, visited Russian cities and
signed the Moscow Declaration. In accordance with this document, the two
countries pledged to "promote the formation of a new fair world order
based on the rule of law, principles of equality, mutual respect, mutual
cooperation in order to maintain global stability and ensure reliable
security for each member of the international community in the political,
economic, social, cultural, informational and other spheres."
Meanwhile, the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA)
reported that the DPRK embassy in Moscow gave a reception on July 29 to
mark the 10th anniversary of General Secretary Kim Jong Il's historic
visit to Russia and the adoption of the DPRK-Russia Moscow Declaration.
Those present at the reception were Alexei Borodavkin, vice foreign
minister of Russia, and other officials of ministries of Foreign Affairs,
Agriculture, Regional Development and Extraordinary Situation and the
Russian Railways Company.
Ambassador Kim Yong Jae and staff members of the DPRK embassy in
Moscow attended the event.
Speeches were made at the reception.
Kim Yong Jae said he was pleased with the traditional DPRK-Russia
friendly and cooperative relations that have steadily developed on good
terms in the spirit of the joint documents signed by the top leaders of
the two countries. He noted the DPRK would value this relationship and
strive to boost the ties of good neighbourliness and friendship, KCNA
reported.
Alexei Borodavkin said the joint documents signed by the top leaders
of the two countries are playing an important role not only in developing
the DPRK-Russia relations but in ensuring the peace and security in
Northeast Asia and the rest of the world. This has been proved by the
reality of the past decade, he added. He noted Russia would make efforts
for the bilateral relations and the regional peace and security in the
spirit of the joint documents, in the future, too.
According to the Moscow Declaration, both sides recognized the
importance of strengthening the major role of the United Nations in world
affairs and the need to prevent any attempts detrimental to the UN Charter
and the principles and norms of the international law. Disputes existing
in the world should be settled through peaceful and political
negotiations, not by confrontation. Recognising that independence,
sovereignty and territorial integrity should be strictly ensured in
international relations, the DPRK and the Russian Federation confirm that
each state has the right to have an equal degree of security. The two
sides stressed the importance for the international community to join
efforts to oppose the threat of spread of international terrorism and
belligerent separatism.
The Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries is
responsible for organising a wide range of cultural events and to develop
international relations between the DPRK and many countries of the world.
When North Korean officials are on state visits, even when meeting foreign
statesmen, leading officials from the Committee are also present.