Flags of the two countries were hoisted at the venue of the ceremony. Displayed there were photos showing the history of the development of the friendly relations between the two countries.

Present there were the DPRK government delegation headed by Vice-Premier Ro Tu Chol, the DPRK ambassador to Russia and his embassy officials, Yuri Trutnev, vice prime minister and concurrently presidential envoy to the Far East Region of Russia, the minister of Development of Far East, chairpersons for international affairs committees of both houses of the parliament, vice-ministers of the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Transport, Education and Science and Culture and others concerned, personages of the Institute of the Far East of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Russian Association for Friendship and Cultural Cooperation with the DPRK, the Russian Railways Company and the Bridge Group and representatives of academic, public and business circles.

Yuri Trutnev said that the two countries with a long-standing history of friendship set this year marking the 70th anniversary of the victory in the great Patriotic War of Russia and the 70th anniversary of Korea's liberation as the year of friendship and are holding the opening ceremony. This is an expression of the steadfast will of both sides to steadily boost the traditional Russia-DPRK relations, he noted.

The political relations of the two countries have positively developed through the Russia visit by the special envoy of respected Comrade Kim Jong Un, the supreme leader of the DPRK, and this provided a foundation for developing the bilateral relations onto a new stage qualitatively, he said.

He expressed conviction that Russia would successfully hold joint events in various fields which were reflected in the plan for events of the year of the Russia-DPRK friendship and positively step up the work for registering substantial achievements in bilateral economic cooperation.

Ro Tu Chol said: The two countries set this year a year of the DPRK-Russia friendship and are holding the opening ceremony, a historic event of weighty significance in boosting the friendly and cooperative relations onto a new higher stage in conformity with the requirements and interests of the two peoples.

He noted that President Kim Il Sung and leader Kim Jong Il provided the historic roots for DPRK-Russia friendship and laid a firm foundation to further develop it as required by the new century, and the DPRK-Russia friendly and cooperative relations are boosting in all fields including politics, economy and culture under the deep care of Marshal Kim Jong Un and President Putin.

We will closely cooperate with Russian friends and ensure that all projects under the plan yield fruits and thus help the year of the DPRK-Russia friendship record a brilliant page in the history of the friendly relations between the two countries, he noted.

Then, the vice-ministers of Foreign Affairs of the two countries signed the plan for events of the year of DPRK-Russia friendship.

An agreement on international automobile transport between the governments of the DPRK and Russia, the 2015-2016 plan for cultural and scientific cooperation between the governments of the DPRK and Russia and a MOU between the Korean Central Bank and the Russian Central Bank were inked.

The participants went round photos on display.

That day the Russian side gave a reception on the occasion of the opening ceremony.