Pyongyang, October 13 (KCNA) -- Charge d'Affaires ad Interim of the Syrian embassy here Haissam Saad gave a reception at the embassy on Thursday to celebrate the 66th birthday of the Workers' Party of Korea.

Present there on invitation were Minister of Foreign Affairs Pak Ui Chun, Minister of Foreign Trade Ri Ryong Nam, chairman of the DPRK-Syria Friendship Association, Ri Chang Gun,Vice Department Director of the WPK Central Committee, Pak Jae Gyong,Vice Minister of the People's Armed Forces, So Ho Won, Vice-Chairman of the Korean Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries, Mun Jae Chol, Deputy Director of the General Bureau of Diplomatic Corps Affairs and officials concerned.

Haissam Saad said at the reception that general secretary Kim Jong Il was reelected as general secretary of the WPK last year, adding the struggle of the DPRK under his Songun leadership encourages the suppressed people.

He referred to the fact that the WPK has a kinship with the Syria's Baath Arab Socialist Party from long ago and extended support and encouragement to it.

Pak Ui Chun said that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries provided by President Kim Il Sung and Hafez Al-Assad, eternal leader of the Syrian people, have steadily developed under the deep care of leader Kim Jong Il and President Bashar Al-Assad.

It is the steadfast will of Kim Jong Il to set store by the good relations of friendship and cooperation with Syria and boost them disregard of whatever changing situation, he noted, adding the DPRK will invariably and fully support the just cause of the Syrian people.