The message said:

Your Excellency respected Kim Jong Il,

Please accept my sincere congratulations to you on the occasion of the 97th birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung, the founder of the DPRK, the national holiday.

The friendship and cooperation between our two countries forged thanks to the great contribution of President Kim Il Sung are enriched with new contents as required by the reality of the 21st century.

The interaction in the fields of politics, economy, science and culture is successfully developing on a solid basis of the Treaty of Friendship, Good-neighborliness and Cooperation concluded in 2000.

It is my belief that the joint efforts of our two countries to steadily boost the bilateral mutual cooperation will as ever yield good fruits in the work to achieve the welfare of the peoples of Russia and the DPRK and ensure peace, stability and security on the Korean Peninsula and the rest of the Asian region.

Your Excellency respected Kim Jong Il,

I wish you success in your responsible state affairs and the friendly Korean people happiness and prosperity.

Sincerely Yours.