Gifts to Kim Jong Il
Pyongyang, April 17 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il was presented with gifts by the delegations of the People's Party of Cambodia (PPC) and the Communist Party of Germany (CPG) and the secretary general of the International Liaison Committee for Reunification and Peace in Korea (CILRECO) on the occasion of the 90th birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung.
The gifts were respectively conveyed to an official concerned by President Yos Son of the external relations committee of the PPC, vice-chairman Hans Wauer of the CPG central committee and secretary general Guy Dupre of the CILRECO on a visit to the DPRK.
DPRK order awarded to secretary general of CILRECO
Pyongyang, April 17 (KCNA) -- A DPRK order was awarded to the secretary general of the International Liaison Committee for Reunification and Peace in Korea (CILRECO), on the occasion of the 90th birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung.
A ceremony of awarding the order was held at the Mansudae Assembly Hall yesterday.
After a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK was read out and then President Kim Yong Nam of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly awarded DPRK national flag order first class to Guy Dupre, secretary general of CILRECO, who has conducted the positive solidarity movement for supporting the struggle of the Korean people to build a powerful socialist nation and achieve the independent reunification of the country.
The secretary general said that he deemed it a great honor and pride to receive the order on the occasion of the 90th birth anniversary of Kim Il Sung. He resolved to further enhance the role of CILRECO in the future.
Letter to Kim Jong Il from former unconverted long-term prisoners
Pyongyang, April 17 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il on April 15 received a letter from former unconverted long-term prisoners on the occasion of the 90th birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung.
The letter said that Kim Il Sung performed the immortal feats through his unremitting devotion and efforts for the country and the nation.
His ideas and feats will shine for all ages, the day of the sun will remain as the eternal spring holiday of the Korean nation and humankind and Korea will prosper with his august name, guided by Kim Jong Il, the letter said, and went on:
We will take the lead in upholding your plan and intention till the last blood drops though we are old and will continue making the forced march of faith and will to achieve the sacred cause of reunification so earnestly concerned by you.
SPA delegation leaves for China
Pyongyang, April 17 (KCNA) -- A delegation of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly led by minister of public health Kim Su Hak who is deputy to the spa left here yesterday to attend the third conference of the Association of Asian Parliament for Peace to be held in China.
The delegation was seen off at the airport by an official concerned and the Chinese ambassador to the DPRK.
Greetings to Syrian leaders
Pyongyang, April 17 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, yesterday sent a message of greetings to Bashar Al Assad, President of Syria, on the occasion of the 56th anniversary of its independence.
In the belief that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries will continue to grow stronger, the message sincerely wished the president, the government and the people of Syria success in their work to achieve the development of the country and the regional stability.
Meanwhile, Hong Song Nam, premier of the DPRK cabinet, sent a message of greetings to his Syrian counterpart Muhammad Mustafa Miro.
Floral basket to Kim Il Sung's Statue from Denmark
Pyongyang, April 17 (KCNA) -- The Danish Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist) sent a floral basket to the Statue of President Kim Il Sung on Mansu Hill on the occasion of his 90th birth anniversary.
The floral basket was laid before the statue by Jorgen Petersen, chairman of the Danish Communist Party (M-L) who is heading the visiting delegation of the party on April 15.
Greetings to Danish queen
Pyongyang, April 17 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, on April 14 sent a message of greetings to Margrethe 11, queen of Denmark, on the occasion of its national day.
Extending warm congratulations to the queen and the people of Denmark on the national day, the birthday of the queen, the message wished her good health and happiness and the Danish people wellbeing and prosperity.
9th meeting of executive committee of board of IIJI
Pyongyang, April 17 (KCNA) -- The 9th meeting of the executive committee of the board of the International Institute of the Juche Idea (IIJI) was held here yesterday.
Present there were members of the executive committee of the board of the IIJI, the honorary director general of the IIJI and delegations and delegates of Juche idea study organizations of various countries, and Korean social scientists as observers.
Vishwanath, director general of the IIJI, in a report on the 2001 work of the IIJI said that last year the IIJI successfully carried out the working plan and a special resolution discussed and adopted at the 8th meeting of the executive committee of the board.
Referring to the brisk preparations for the world conference of the Juche idea, he expressed belief that the Juche idea study organizations and advocates would continue taking the lead in the struggle for global peace, progress and independence through more vigorous activities to disseminate the Juche idea this significant year.
The meeting discussed the working plan for 2002 of the IIJI.
Mohamed Dioue Fofana, secretary general of the African Regional Committee for the Study of the Juche Idea, published the working plan.
At the meeting Edmond Jouve, director general of the European Society for the Study of the Juche Idea, read out a resolution on advancing the cause of independence.
The resolution called for constantly studying and grasping the immortal feats of President Kim Il Sung, struggling to accelerate the victory of the cause of independence, deeply studying and widely disseminating the ideas and theories of leader Kim Jong Il and conducting the activities to put them into practice.
It also underscored the need to steadily strengthen support and solidarity with the anti-imperialist independent forces, resolutely oppose and reject "globalization" and the moves for aggression and war by the imperialists and significantly greet the 25th anniversary of the foundation of the IIJI in 2003.
Then, followed speeches supporting the resolution.
The meeting also discussed the issue related to the holding of the world conference of the Juche idea.
DPRK orders and medals awarded to foreigners
Pyongyang, April 17 (KCNA) -- A ceremony of awarding DPRK orders and medals to foreigners was held at the Mansudae Assembly Hall on April 15, the 90th birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung.
Present there were Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, and other officials concerned.
A decree of the presidium of the spa was read and then DPRK friendship order first class was awarded to P. Shiv Shankar, chairman of the All India Indo-Korean Friendship Association.
Friendship order second class was awarded to two foreigners and friendship medal to two others.
Joint forum held
Pyongyang, April 17 (KCNA) -- A joint forum was held at the central youth hall yesterday with delegates of organizations for friendship and solidarity with the Korean people and the international organizations on the occasion of the 90th birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung.
Present at the forum were foreigners including the delegates.
Attending it were vice-president Yang Hyong Sop of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly and officials concerned.
Among the speakers and performers of the forum were the people who were honored to be received by President Kim Il Sung several times and given great loving care and their children, foreign personages familiar with Koreans and Korean artistes.
A congratulatory address was made by acting chairman Mun Jae Chol of the Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries who is also chairman of the Korean Committee for Solidarity with the World People.
Honorary chairman Romesh Chandra of the World Peace Council and manager Humberto Ortiz Flores of the Yoluntad Publishing House of Ecuador recalled the days of their honor of being received in audience by the president, saying that the president energetically worked hard for the Korean revolution and the global peace and independence all his life.
A Syrian Naim Hamdy sang a song written composed by himself "the great leader comrade Kim Il Sung will be always alive in the hearts of humankind" to be acclaimed by the audience.
Schoolmaster Zhi Yanchen of the Yu Wen middle school in Jilin, China, delegate Takashi Nata of the Ehime institute of modern Korean studies and vice-chairman Dermot Hudson of the British Association for Friendship with Korea noted that only when leader Kim Jong Il who has creditably carried forward the idea and leadership of the president is held in high esteem as the sun of the 21st century is the global independence sure to come.
First secretary Igor Lyapin of the Russian union of writers recited a poem "the day when comrade Kim Jong Il came" to delight the participants.
Colorful number of songs and dances were performed by Korean artistes and schoolchildren.
Joint etude contest held
Pyongyang, April 17 (KCNA) -- A joint etude contest of the participants in the Pyongyang fine art festival took place in Mangyongdae yesterday to commemorate the 90th birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung.
The contest drew creators of the Mansudae Art Studio, overseas Korean fine artists and well-known fine artists including a professor of the royal university of fine arts in Cambodia.
The Korean fine artists drew the old home of the president in Mangyongdae, the cradle of the revolution.
The fine artists from the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan and Cambodia also drew the old home.
All the fine artists participating in the contest pooled their wisdom and energies to complete with credit pictures of the old home in spring.
The calligraphers in the contest worked hard together to create a calligraphic work "the sun of all people."
Calligraphic works including "immortality,""nation of the sun" and "believing in the people as in heaven" came into being that day.
Mayor of St. Petersburg interviewed
Pyongyang, April 17 (KCNA) -- Vladimir Anatoliyevich Yakovlev, mayor of St. Petersburg of the Russian Federation, had a press interview at the airport before leaving Pyongyang after winding up his visit to the DPRK.
He said that during his stay in the DPRK he visited the Kumsusan Memorial Palace and Mangyongdae, the 4th Kimilsungia show, the three revolution exhibition, the Mangyongdae Schoolchildren's Palace and enjoyed the mass gymnastic and artistic performance "Arirang".
He further said:
Leader Kim Jong Il is the wisest man with noble virtues as well as a high level of culture. he, a politician with his rich experience, is the excellent leader who treats people in a very humble way, conducts energetic activities and devotes his all to the reunification of the country.
Referring to the prospects for the development of the DPRK-Russia relations, he said that Russian President Putin's visit to the DPRK and chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission Kim Jong Il's visit to the Russian Federation opened a new chapter in boosting the bilateral relations.
The Moscow declaration signed by the two top leaders in august last year is the basis for boosting the Russia-DPRK friendly relations and the relations would develop on good terms based on it, he said.
His visit is a clear proof of it, he said.
Armitage's outbursts under fire
Pyongyang, April 17 (KCNA) -- U.S. deputy Secretary of State Armitage in a press interview let loose a spate of provocative outbursts that in case a North Korean ship carrying missiles and weapons of mass destruction is detected on the open sea, the "confiscation for the weapons and the sinking of the ship are an option of the u.s."
In this regard Minju Joson today in a signed commentary says:
Armitage's remarks are based on a plan of nuclear attack on the DPRK peddled by the bush administration.
They are linking the DPRK with terrorism in a far-fetched manner, and talking about "threat from weapons of mass destruction". This betrays a black-hearted intention to build up public opinion on the "possibility of terrorist attack" by the DPRK, justify their criminal attempt at armed invasion including nuclear attack, dominate the korean peninsula by force of arms, and, furthermore, conquer the world.
Armitage also showed an intention to check the "missile export" by the DPRK by force of arms. This is an anti-DPRK diatribe to convince the world of the "seriousness" of the "nuclear and missile threat" from the DPRK and invent a pretext for their criminal nuclear preemptive attack on it and armed invasion.
Now that the U.S. still pursues the policy of confrontation with the DPRK, the dialogue partner, with the hostility, the DPRK cannot but take a thoroughgoing counter-measure with the sharpened vigilance.
The DPRK does want peace, but does not fear war. And it has no intention to avoid it.
The DPRK warns once again that the slightest encroachment upon the sovereignty of the DPRK will be regarded as the declaration of war against it.
56th anniversary of Syrian independence observed
Pyongyang, April 17 (KCNA) -- Papers today observe the 56th anniversary of the independence of Syria.
Rodong Sinmun in a signed article says that since the independence the Syrian people have registered great success in the efforts to build a new society.
It goes on:
Syria is paying a deep attention to increasing the nation's defense capabilities for the defence of the sovereignty of the country and mid-east peace.
Today the Syrian people under guidance of President Bashar Al Assad are working hard to build Syria, independent and prosperous, rallied close around the Arab Socialist Baath Party true to the intention of former President Hafez Al Assad.
The Syrian Arab people's stand on independence against imperialism and their efforts for mid-east peace, a just cause, enjoy support from the world progressives including the Arab peoples.
The Korean people will as ever express full support to the Syrian Arab people in their struggle.