Pyongyang, October 18 (KCNA) -- Cuban Ambassador to the DPRK German Hermin Ferras Alvarez hosted a reception at the embassy on Tuesday to celebrate the 66th anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea.

Present there on invitation were Kim Yong Il, alternate member of the Political Bureau and secretary of the WPK Central Committee, and Vice Department Director Pak Kun Gwang and other officials of the WPK Central Committee.

Staff members of the Cuban embassy were on hand.

The ambassador said that Cuba highly appreciates the successes being made in the DPRK under the wise leadership of Kim Jong Il, adding the Cuban and Korean peoples are friends and comrades-in-arms struggling against the imperialists, common enemy.

He hoped that the Korean people would register greater success in the general advance for building a thriving nation under the leadership of the WPK.

Kim Yong Il said that the Korean people are happy to see the friendly relations between the two parties and countries steadily develop on the basis of the revolutionary principle and comradeship.

He hoped that the Cuban people would make success in the drive to implement the new socio-economic policy set forth at the 6th Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba.

We will as ever extend support to the Cuban party and people in their efforts to defend the gains of the revolution and achieve the prosperity of the country, he said.