Among those present on invitation were Ri Yong Ho, foreign minister of the DPRK, Thae Hyong Chol, president of Kim Il Sung University and concurrently minister of Higher Education who is chairman of the Iran-DPRK Friendship Parliamentary Group, and Kim Jong Suk, chairwoman of the Korean Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries.

The Iranian ambassador said in his speech that they are pleased to celebrate the Day of the Shining Star.

He noted that the relations between the two countries were provided by Leader of the Islamic Revolution of Iran Seyed Ali Khamenei and President Kim Il Sung.

He expressed the will to boost the cooperation between the two countries, saying that the Iranian people are attaching great importance to the relations with the DPRK.

Ri Yong Ho said it is a token of reverence for Kim Jong Il that the Iranian friends are significantly celebrating the Day of the Shining Star together with the Korean people.

Kim Jong Il's exploits for the development of the friendly relations between the two countries and the global cause of independence will be immortal, he said.

He reiterated that the Korean people would make all efforts to develop the traditional relations of friendship and cooperation between the two countries provided by the great leaders of the DPRK together with the high-ranking leaders of Iran.