Kim Jong Il to visit Russia

Pyongyang, July 26 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Il, Chairman of the National Defence Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, will soon pay an official visit to the russian federation at the invitation of President V.V. Putin.

Centre for culture and friendship with DPRK opens in Mongolia

    Pyongyang, July 26 (KCNA) -- An opening ceremony of the centre for culture and friendship with the DPRK took place in Ulaan Baatar on July 17. On display at the ceremony place were photos showing the leadership feats of President Kim Il Sung and leader Kim Jong Il and their famous works and Korean handiworks. Speeches were made at the ceremony.
    S. Surenjav, chairman of the Mongolia-Korea Friendship Society, addressing the ceremony, said that the centre will serve as a base to hold various political and cultural functions on important occasions including the birth anniversaries of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il.
    A letter to Kim Jong Il was adopted there.

Officials of Lao embassy help Korean farmers

Pyongyang, July 26 (KCNA) -- Lao charge d'affaires a.i. Chanpheng Inthavanh and embassy officials visited the Korea-Laos Friendship Taewon Co-op Farm in Sadong district, Pyongyang, yesterday and helped farmers in farming. During a break they sang songs and danced with farmers, deepening the feelings of friendship.
They handed over aid materials to the farm.

Functions held to mark anniversary of war victory

    Pyongyang, July 26 (KCNA) -- Functions were held in Pyongyang yesterday to mark the 48th anniversary of the victory in the great fatherland liberation war. A performance "song of eternal victory" was given at the central workers' hall with war veterans and honoured disabled soldiers participating in it. Through such songs as "Song of General Kim Il Sung," "Song of National Defence" and "To the Road of Decisive Battle" and numbers the performers successfully represented the exploits president kim il sung performed by winning the victory in the war and the feats made by the people's army and people of Korea in honourably defending the dignity and sovereignty of the nation under his leadership.
    They truthfully depicted the Korean people's revolutionary spirit and unshakable will to build a powerful nation on this land without fail under the army-first leadership of Kim Jong Il.
    Meanwhile, youth and students held a concert "July 27, Day of Victory" at the Central Youth Hall.

U.S. chiefly accountable for instability

    Pyongyang, July 26 (KCNA) -- Commander-in-chief of the U.S. forces in the Pacific Blair termed "North Korea one of the greatest threats to the stability in the Asian region" and called for "sustained emphasis on the Asian defence" to cope with it. In this regard Rodong Sinmun today in a signed commentary says:
    It is non-sensible for the U.S. to talk about "threat" from someone. Its loudmouthed "threat" from the DPRK is a cock-and-bull story fabricated to retain its military edge in the Asian region.
    It is the strategic aim of the U.S. imperialists' Asian policy to keep its troops in the region under the pretext of "guaranteeing stability" and retain their military edge there in a bid to contain other countries and go unchallenged in a war for interests and establish its political and military domination over the region. The U.S. call for putting emphasis on the Asian defence to "cope with the threat" from the DPRK means its intention to stay in the region under that pretext and retain its military edge there and thus continue aggression and interference in internal affairs of other countries.
    The United States is keen to launch another war against the DPRK.
    Recently it staged war exercises one after another after deploying new task forces and sophisticated military hardware in and around South Korea.
    All these facts go to prove that the U.S. imperialists are the chief harasser of peace and stability in Asia.

Gift to Kim Jong Il

Pyongyang, July 26 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il received a gift from the committee on family and women under the government of the Republic of Tajikistan. The gift was conveyed to vice-president Yang Hyong Sop of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly by Latofat Shokhmurodovna Nasridinova, head of the committee who is leading its delegation on a visit to the DPRK.

Message of sympathy to Indian prime minister

Pyongyang, July 26 (KCNA) -- Hong Song Nam, premier of the DPRK cabinet, sent a message of sympathy to Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Upon hearing the news that torrential rain recently hit coastal areas in Orissa state in India causing huge human and material losses, he in the message expressed deep sympathy to him, and through him, to the people in the afflicted areas.
The message expressed the belief that the Indian government and people would recover from the flood damage and bring the living of the people in those areas to normal as soon as possible.

Greetings to Kim Jong Il from military attaches corps

Pyongyang, July 26 (KCNA) -- The military attaches corps in Korea presented a congratulatory letter to Kim Jong Il, Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army, on the occasion of the 48th anniversary of the victory in the Fatherland Liberation War. The letter was handed to minister of the people's armed forces Kim Il Chol today by military attache of the Chinese embassy Yan Jiangfeng, doyen of the corps.

Greetings to Peruvian president

Pyongyang, July 26 (KCNA) -- President Kim Yong Nam of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly yesterday sent a message of greetings to Alejandro Toledo Manrique, President of Peru, on the occasion of the independence day, the national holiday of the Peruvian people. The message extended warm congratulations to the President, government and people of Peru on the independence day.
It expressed belief that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries will continue to develop on good terms and sincerely wished the president and people of Peru success in their efforts for the prosperity of the country.

Joint press statement between DPRK and EU released

    Pyongyang, July 26 (KCNA) -- A joint press statement on the establishment of diplomatic relations between the DPRK and EU was released today. The statement reads:
    The DPRK Foreign Ministry ambassador at large, Ho Jong, and EU commission director Percy Westerlund met informally on July 25 in Hanoi to discuss follow-up to the establishment of diplomatic relations between the DPRK and EU.
    The diplomatic relations were established on May 14th 2001, following an exchange of letters between DPRK foreign minister Paek Nam Sun and EU external relations commissioner Christopher Patten.
    It was agreed that the practical details of diplomatic representation would be negotiated this autumn.

Gift to Kim Jong Il from IUA President

Pyongyang, July 26 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il received a gift from the president of the international union of architects. The gift was handed to an official concerned by president Vassilis Sqoutas on a visit to the DPRK.