March 17 is the meaningful day that opened up a new chapter of development of the friendly and cooperative relations between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Russian Federation.
From February to April, 1949, 72 years ago, President Kim Il Sung paid an official goodwill visit to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and signed himself the Intergovernmental Agreement on Economic and Cultural Cooperation.
The signing of the Agreement between the DPRK and the USSR provided a legal guarantee making it possible to comprehensively expand and develop the bilateral cooperation in various fields of economy, culture, science and technology.
This Agreement is of great significance as it is the first one signed by the DPRK government – established by the general will of the entire Korean people after liberation – with the government of other country on an independent and equal footing.
Reflected in the Agreement are the issues of actively encouraging the economic and cultural cooperation between the two countries such as developing the commercial relations, sustainably developing the already-established relations in the fields of culture and science and promoting the exchange of experiences in the fields of industry and agricultural production on the basis of the principles of cooperation, equality and mutual benefits.
Basing themselves on this Agreement concluded under deep attention of the preceding leaders, the both countries consistently developed many-sided and mutually beneficial cooperation and exchanges and have been continuing the close bilateral cooperation also in the new century as befits the changed situation and environment.
In April 2019, respected Comrade Kim Jong Un, the President of the State Affairs of the DPRK, visited the Russian Federation, met and had talks with H.E. President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, reaffirming the unwavering current of the history of DPRK-Russia relations and laying a cornerstone for expanding and developing anew the friendly relations between the two countries.
The long-standing tradition of the DPRK-Russia friendship and cooperation will invariably be carried on in the future and further shine in the course of common struggle for achieving genuine international justice and defending the truth.
