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| Leader Kim Jong-un of Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Photo: AP. |
Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a congratulatory telegram to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Sunday, the North Korean state news agency KCNA reported.
"Please accept my sincere congratulations on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the DPRK, and I note with pleasure the friendly nature of the relations that exist between the Russian Federation and the DPRK," the message said.
According the agency, Vladimir Putin also expressed confidence that Moscow and Pyongyang will jointly "ensure further expansion of bilateral dialogue and constructive cooperation in various fields."
"This fully meets the interests of the peoples of our two countries, strengthens stability and security on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia as a whole," the telegram said.
On Sunday, North Korea will hold a large military parade in Pyongyang commemorating the 70th anniversary of the country's founding.
Russia will be represented by Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko. During a meeting with Kim Jong-un on Saturday, she conveyed to him a personal message from President Putin.
The North Korean leader confirmed his decision to visit the Russian Federation.
Vladimir Putin earlier said that Russia was ready to take steps to establish economic contacts with North Korea.
On June 4, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov handed over an invitation to Kim Jong-un to visit Russia, possibly the Eastern Economic Forum on September 11-13.
Later in June, President Vladimir Putin confirmed the invitation had been made.
