Present there on invitation were Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, Pak Kyong Son, vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, Kung Sok Ung, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, and officials concerned.

Officials of the Russian embassy were present.

Alexander Matsegora said at the reception that talks held during the visits to the Russian Federation and the Far Eastern region by Kim Jong Il, chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission, and joint documents signed there contributed to the development of the relations between the two countries and peoples.

He said he would make every effort to boost the traditional Russia-DPRK friendship and cooperation, setting store by the noble intention of Kim Jong Il who has paid deep attention to the development of the bilateral relations.

He sincerely wished the Korean people greater success in the work to bolster the nation's defence capability and economic potentials under the leadership of Kim Jong Il.

Yang Hyong Sop said in his speech that Kim Jong Il's visits to the Russian Federation and the Far Eastern region were a striking demonstration of his personality as a great man born of Heaven and his high international prestige.

Preserving the spirit of the joint documents agreed upon at the top-level talks and boosting the DPRK-Russia relations on the principle of equality and mutual benefits provide a guarantee for achieving the prosperity common to the two peoples and ensuring the regional security, he noted.