Present there on invitation were Vice-Premier Ro Tu Chol, Minister of Railways Jon Kil Su, Acting Chairman of the Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries Mun Jae Chol, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Kung Sok Ung, Vice-Minister of Foreign Trade O Ryong Chol, Vice-Minister of Culture Han Chol and officials concerned.

Members of the Russian embassy here were present there.

The ambassador said in his speech made at the reception that the principles of equality, mutual benefits and cooperation laid down in the agreement have been carried forward and developed by the Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighborliness and Cooperation concluded between the two countries in 2000 and agreements reached at the meetings of the top leaders of the two countries.

Recalling that General Secretary Kim Jong Il appreciated twice the art performances given by Russian artistes last year, he stressed that he and his embassy officials would strive hard to boost the multi-faceted cooperation together with Korean comrades.

Ro Tu Chol said that the above-said agreement personally signed by President Kim Il Sung was a significant document which provided a legal foundation for developing mutually beneficial cooperation and exchange between the DPRK and Russia.

He recalled that over the past six decades the two countries have developed cooperation in different fields in the spirit of the agreement.

Noting that it is the DPRK's stand to further expand and develop the relations with Russia in conformity with the desires of the two peoples and the spirit of the joint documents agreed upon between them, Ro expressed the hope that everything would go well in Russia, a friendly neighbor.