Invited to the reception were Kim Hyong Jun, alternate member of the Political Bureau and vice-chairman of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, Pak Myong Guk, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, Pak Sun Dok, vice-chairman of the Education Commission who is chairman of the Korean Committee for Solidarity with Cuba, and officials concerned.

Present there were members of the Cuban embassy here.

The ambassador in his speech said that the Cuban people toppled the reactionary Batista dictatorial regime and provided foundation for the development of the country to firmly defend socialism.

The historic relations of friendship provided by the preceding leaders of the two countries have developed into the indestructible relations thanks to Comrade Kim Jong Un and Comrades Raul Castro Ruz and Miguel Mario Diaz-Canel Bermudez, he said.

He expressed the belief that the DPRK would more dynamically bolster up the defence capabilities and improve the people's standard of living in the face of the imperialists' sanctions to stifle it with an offensive for making a breakthrough head-on.

Kim Hyong Jun in his speech referred to the brilliant successes achieved by the Cuban people in the struggle for defending socialism from the imperialists' moves for over six decades after the victory of the revolution.

The traditional relations of friendship and cooperation between the DPRK and Cuba grow stronger under the special care of the top leaders of the two countries, he noted.

He stressed that the Korean people would in the future, too, join hands with the Cuban people in the joint struggle for the victory of the cause of anti-imperialist independence and socialism.