Rodong Sinmun on Thursday says in an article that the adoption of the DPRK-Russia joint declaration was a historic occasion as it laid a firm foundation for developing in an overall way the bilateral relations of friendship and cooperation in keeping with the changed reality and the requirements of the 21st century.

Since the adoption of the joint declaration the DPRK-Russia friendly relations have been steadily strengthened, the article says, and goes on:

The DPRK and Russia are the neighbors sharing the same border and their traditional relations of friendship have a long history.

It is the invariable stand of the DPRK government to further boost the strategic and traditional DPRK-Russia friendly relations as required by the new era and in the interests of the two peoples.

This year is of very weighty significance as it greets the 70th anniversary of the establishment of DPRK-Russia diplomatic relations.

The friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries are developing day by day. High-level visits are brisk.

Recently there were talks between foreign ministers of the DPRK and the Russian Federation. An in-depth discussion was made there on the issue of further developing the relations between the two countries with a long history and tradition on the basis of the agreements reached at the DPRK-Russia summit meetings and the issue of marking the 70th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations with practical results in the development of the bilateral relations.

The development of the DPRK-Russia friendly relations gives a powerful stimulus to the building of a powerful socialist country by the Korean people and the powerful nation- building by Russia.

Bright is the prospect for the development of the bilateral friendly relations.