Pyongyang, October 8 (KCNA) -- Lao Ambassador to the DPRK Chaleune Warinthrasak hosted a reception at his embassy on Saturday as regards the 66th birthday of the Workers' Party of Korea and the successful visit to the DPRK by Choummaly Sayasone, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and president of the Lao People's Democratic Republic.

Present there on invitation were Kim Yong Il, alternate member of the Political Bureau and secretary of the Central Committee of the WPK, and officials of the International Affairs Department of the WPK Central Committee.

Staff members of the Lao embassy attended.

Chaleune Warinthrasak said in his speech at the reception that the friendly relations between Laos and the DPRK provided by Kaysone Phomvihane and President Kim Il Sung have a long history.

The current meeting between Choummaly Sayasone and leader Kim Jong Il was a great event in boosting the bilateral relations, he noted.

The Lao party, government and people will make positive efforts to boost the relations between the two countries.

Kim Yong Il noted in his speech that the meeting between Kim Jong Il and President Choummaly Sayasone served as a historic event which demonstrated the vitality of the friendly and cooperative relations between the DPRK and Laos.

He referred to the positive struggle waged by the Lao people to defend the socialist gains, consolidate the people's democratic system and strengthen the state power as a whole.

The WPK and the Korean people will make efforts to boost the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries, he said.