Rodong Sinmun Saturday says in a bylined article devoted to this day:

As proved by the 63-year-long history, the traditional DPRK-Russia friendship has deep roots and it will grow stronger in the years ahead thanks to the joint efforts of the peoples of the two countries.

Leader Kim Jong Il's visit to Siberia and Far East region of the Russian Federation last year, in particular, marked an important event as it developed the DPRK-Russia relations on a higher stage.

Visits and multifarious exchange and cooperation have become brisk between the two countries. This year, too, the bilateral cooperation and exchange are growing stronger in different fields. In January the delegation of the Ministry of Fisheries of the DPRK paid a visit to Russia and a DPRK-Russia intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in preventing illegal fishing was signed in Moscow.

Kimjongilia shows took place with splendor in different parts of Russia on the occasion of the Day of the Shining Star.

These events provided Russian people with opportunities to look back again with deep emotion on the undying exploits performed by Kim Jong Il for the development of the DPRK-Russia relations and renew the will to boost the traditional DPRK-Russia friendship in the future, too. It is the common aspiration and wishes of the two peoples to steadily develop the long-standing bilateral friendship.

The secretary of the Russia Association for Friendship and Cultural Cooperation with the DPRK stressed the will to make positive efforts to boost the fraternal friendship and solidarity with the friendly Korean people in the future, too, as required by the present trend of the times when a new history is unfolding for the development of the Russia-DPRK relations.