Present there on invitation were Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, Ri Ryong Nam, minister of Foreign Trade who doubles as chairman of the DPRK-Syria Friendship Association, Kim Thae Jong, vice department director of the WPK Central Committee, Kim Hyong Jun, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, and officials concerned.

Souheil Haidar said in his speech made at the reception that he felt grateful to the party and government of the DPRK for having expressed full support to the just struggle of the Syrian people.

He referred to the fact that the Syrian people have positively supported the Korean people in their struggle to accomplish the cause of socialism and achieve the country's reunification.

Yang Hyong Sop noted in his speech that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries provided by President Kim Il Sung together with Hafez Al-Assad, the eternal leader of the Syrian people, have steadily grown strong under the care of General Secretary Kim Jong Il and President Bashar Al-Assad.

He stressed that the WPK and the people of the DPRK will set store by the excellent relations of friendship and cooperation with Syria, expand and develop them in various fields and invariably and positively support and encourage the just cause of the Syrian people.