Greetings to Syrian President
Pyongyang, November 16 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, yesterday sent a message of greetings to Bashar al Assad, President of Syria, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the corrective movement in the Syrian Arab Republic.
Under the leadership of the Arab Socialist Baath Party, the Syrian people made great progress in the work to build an independent and prosperous new Syria over the last 30 years, the message said.
The Korean people sincerely rejoice over the fact that Hafez al Assad's cause is being carried forward with credit in Syria thanks to the efforts of the President, it said.
It wished the President and Syrian Arab people greater success in the struggle for the sovereignty of the country and fair and comprehensive settlement of the Mideast issue.
It expressed belief that the traditional friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would grow stronger and develop in the new century.
Spokesman of DPRK FM on adoption of resolution calling for lift of economic blockade against Cuba
Pyongyang, November 16 (KCNA) -- The spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry today answered a question put by KCNA as regards the recent adoption of another resolution calling for the lift of economic blockade against Cuba at the UN General Assembly.
The spokesman said:
The adoption of the resolution is one more great victory won by the Cuban people in the struggle to defend the dignity and sovereignty of the country and an expression of the just demand of the international community for an end to the unreasonable U.S. sanctions and blockade.
The United States should renounce at once the anachronistic policy of sanctions and blockade against independent countries in conformity with the present trend of the international situation towards peace and detente, reconciliation and cooperation.
Gift to Kim Jong Il
Pyongyang, November 16 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il received a gift from the visiting Australian Foreign Minister Alexander John Gosse Downer.
The gift was conveyed to Paek Nam Sun, Minister of Foreign Affairs, by the Australian Foreign Minister.
Talks held between WPK and CPG
Pyongyang, November 16 (KCNA) -- Talks between the delegations of the Worker's Party of Korea and the Communist Party of Greece were held here yesterday.
At the talks both sides informed each other of their party activities and exchanged views on developing the friendly and cooperative relations between the two parties and issues of mutual concern.
Present there were Choe Thae Bok, alternate member of the political bureau and secretary of the Central Committee of the WPK, officials concerned and members of the delegation of the CPG headed by Orestis Kolozof, member of the political bureau and international secretary of the central committee of the CPG.
Australian Foreign Minister hosts reception
Pyongyang, November 16 (KCNA) -- Australian Foreign Minister Alexander John Gosse Downer hosted a reception yesterday in connection with his visit to the DPRK.
Present on invitation were Paek Nam Sun, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Pak Kil Yon, vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, and officials concerned.
Present there were the Australian Foreign Minister and his party.
Speeches were made there.
Japan "SDF" rescue operation drill
Pyongyang, November 16 (KCNA) -- The Japan "Self-Defence Forces" (SDF) recently staged an exercise under the simulated conditions of "evacuating Japanese from overseas" in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, facing the Korean peninsula with at least 1,300 soldiers, 5 warships and 6 helicopters involved.
Rodong Sinmun today in a signed commentary terms this exercise a dangerous war drill aimed to legally pave the way for the SDF's overseas dispatch and expand the theatre of reinvasion operation to the vast Asian region.
It goes on:
The potential factor of the emergency that may prompt imperialists to evacuate their citizens from other countries is neither the "local conflict" nor "political turmoil" but wars of aggression to be started by themselves.
The exercise which was staged in accordance with the "law on emergencies in areas surrounding Japan" was a prearranged drill designed to put into practice the operation plan to evacuate Japanese and Americans from South Korea if a new war breaks out in Korea.
The exercise staged by the SDF in Sasebo suggests that it intends to use it as a major base for a new Korean war of aggression.
It is the ulterior intention of the Japanese reactionary ruling quarters to realise their ambition of reinvasion by using the SDF as main forces if a war breaks out in Korea.
The "drill for evacuating Japanese from overseas" is a preliminary one and a test war to fight a large-scale war of reinvasion.
If Japan dares ignite a war against Korea, its people will return fire for fire.
Clash between police and demonstrators in S. Korea
Pyongyang, November 16 (KCNA) -- At least 100 demonstrators were wounded in a clash with the police on Nov. 12 when over 20,000 unionists under the South Korean confederation of trade unions staged a demonstration on a Seoul Street in protest against the authorities' unilateral restructuring causing massive unemployment and the retrogressive revision of the labour law, according to Seoul-based MBC.
It was reported that demonstrators clashed with the police for more than one hour with square wooden bars and iron pipes as they blocked the march towards Myongdong Cathedral.
WPK's all-embracing politics
Pyongyang, November 16 (KCNA) -- The Worker's Party of Korea is pursuing all-embracing politics of patriotism to rally all the members of the nation who aspire after national reunification, says Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article.
All-embracing politics of the WPK is the politics of noble human love which embraces all people and the most generous politics of patriotism which rallies all the classes and strata of the nation for the common cause of the country and the nation, the article says, and goes on:
It is the consistent principled position of the WPK to make a clean sheet of crimes committed by those who betrayed the nation and took a wrong road and treat them with generosity and join hands for reunification if they repent of their past wrong doings and join in the patriotic struggle for reunification.
The WPK firmly maintains the stand of placing the commonness of the nation which was formed and consolidated through the history of 5,000 years above differences in ideology, idea and system which were temporarily formed by the division of the nation, and placing the common demand of the homogeneous nation for reunification above the interests of private classes and strata.
The WPK holds that the north and south should promote co-existence, co-prosperity and common interests, transcending differences in ideology and system, and subordinate everything to the cause of national reunification. It also joins hands with anyone who devotes himself to national reunification with national conscience, irrespective of his ideology, religious belief, class and stratum.
This is the idea of most generous and patriotic all-embracing politics of the WPK which rallies all the classes and strata of the nation for the common cause of the country and the nation.
Definite solutions to international disputes called for
Pyongyang, November 16 (KCNA) -- In order to settle disputes in various regions it is necessary to make a serious review of the lessons drawn from international disputes that occurred in the past and seek definite solutions to them, says Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article.
Noting that international disputes still remain unsettled and this teaches serious lessons, the article goes on:
The first lesson is that a final solution to international disputes cannot be expected before the root cause of the disputes is removed.
Experiences prove that any agreements made as a result of temporary compromises and bargaining, sidestepping the root cause of disputes, have neither effect nor guarantee and they are fragile.
The world gap between the rich and the poor, difference in the level of social development and the adoption by a country and nation of a political mode not suited to its tradition and specific conditions may serve as a cause of disputes. And the eradication of the leftover of the Cold War is one of the ways of removing the root cause of disputes.
The historical root cause of various disputes should not be discounted.
Another lesson is that the parties involved in the dispute should sit face to face to seek correct principles and solutions and guard against the sinister attempt of those forces which try to edge themselves into the dispute in a bid to meet their own interests.
It is most reasonable and effective for the parties in dispute to be responsible for its settlement and discuss its right ways and principles and put them into practice. This alone can lead to a right solution to the dispute.
It is necessary to discuss proper measures of the international community to settle disputes and build an international mechanism capable of putting an end to disputes and ensuring durable and lasting peace as early as possible.
Some forces take other's misfortune as a good chance of meeting their own interests. They arbitrarily get involved in disputes in a bid to settle it with their own yardstick.
It is necessary to guard against Japan which is keen on getting involved in international disputes under the signboard of "peace keeping mission."
International efforts for the settlement of disputes can prove successful only when they are exerted on right principles and in the right direction.
Kim Jong Il's unbounded love for soldiers
Pyongyang, November 16 (KCNA) -- The great leader Kim Jong Il, Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army, boundlessly loves its soldiers.
It is his peculiar disposition to share joy and sorrow with soldiers and show intense love for them.
Whenever he visits KPA units, he deeply worries about soldiers exposed to cold wind and snow and rain and takes warm care of them as their real father would do. It happened when he visited the first-stage construction site of the Anbyon Youth Power Station in a day of June, Juche 85 (1996) when it was close to completion. It rained from early morning.
Upon arrival there Kim Jong Il warmly waved to the soldiers who were cheering him, braving downpour.
His dress was dripping wet.
When an official accompanying Kim Jong Il held an umbrella above his head, he told the official to close the umbrella, and exchanged greetings with the soldiers caught in the rain.
Then the Supreme Commander instructed that the soldiers should be let go into their quarters quickly lest they should catch a cold.
But they did not move until he went up to the observation platform to enjoy a bird's-eye view of the construction site.
He instructed the officers to ensure that soldiers are not caught in the rain, adding that he could not do any work before they went back to their quarters.
In fact he did not inspect the construction site until he was sure that all of them were back to their quarters.
This is just an example showing the ties of kinship between the Supreme Commander and his soldiers.
He shared without reserve a simple meal with soldiers while providing on-the-spot guidance to KPA units.
Feeling regretful for leaving a unit without seeing an art performance prepared by its soldiers, he went back there in the night to watch it.
That is why all soldiers of the KPA are holding him in high esteem not only as their supreme commander but as their father and preparing themselves as a fortress and shield devotedly defending him.
Anniversary of corrective movement in Syria marked
Pyongyang, November 16 (KCNA) -- Papers here today mark the 30th anniversary of the start of the corrective movement in Syria.
Rodong Sinmun in a signed article says: Since the movement the Syrian Arab people under the leadership of President Hafez al Assad have waged a vigorous struggle to achieve political stability, defend the national sovereignty and independence and build an independent new life.
They are struggling to take back the usurped Golan Heights from Israel on the principle of "peace-for-land" and achieve peace in the Mideast.
They are now making efforts to build new independent Syria under the guidance of President Bashar al Assad, the article notes, and continues:
The Korean people are rejoiced as over their ownover the successes made by the Syrian Arab people in the efforts to build a new life and voicing firm solidarity with them in their struggle to retake the occupied Golan Heights and achieve territorial integrity.
The Korean and Syrian Arab peoples have supported each other's cause after forging friendly ties in the struggle for independence against imperialism.
The Korean people are proud of having the Syrian Arab people with a steadfast anti-imperialist independent stand as their friend.
Minju Joson in a signed article says that the Korean people wish the Syrian people greater success in their efforts for national prosperity and development, believing that the friendly relations between the two countries will always further expand and develop.
DPRK's proposal for Korean reunification supported
Pyongyang, November 16 (KCNA) -- A. N. R. Robinson, President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, when meeting with DPRK ambassador Jon Hyon Chan on November 9, said that Trinidad and Tobago positively supports the reunification proposal of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
The proposals for Korean reunification set forth by the DPRK are very important and just ones, he said.
Hoping that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would develop, he wished the Korean people greater success in the struggle for the reunification of the country.
Annual meeting of Dominican Committee for Korea's Reunification held
Pyongyang, November 16 (KCNA) -- An annual meeting of the Dominican Committee for the Reunification of Korea was held in Santo Domingo on October 31.
The meeting reviewed its annual work and discussed its future working plan.
It reorganized the committee as a united front organization by inviting the Dominican Worker's Party and 5 other political parties, a member of the national executive committee of the Dominican Revolutionary Party and the deputy mayor of Santo Domingo city to join it. And vacancies in its leadership were filled up.