Russian President Vladimir Putin wrote an article "Russia and the DPRK: Traditions of friendship and cooperation through the years." It is posted on the website The Kremlin.
TASS publishes the full text of the Head of state's article.
On the eve of the state visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, I would like to share with the Korean and foreign audience of the Nodong Sinmun newspaper my thoughts on the prospects of partnership relations between our states and their importance in the modern world.
Relations of friendship and good neighborliness between Russia and The DPRK, based on the principles of equality, mutual respect and trust, has been around for more than seven decades and is rich in glorious historical traditions. Our peoples cherish the memory of the difficult joint struggle against Japanese militarism, honor the fallen heroes. In August 1945, Soviet soldiers, fighting shoulder to shoulder with Korean patriots, defeated the Kwantung Army, liberated the Korean Peninsula from colonizers, and opened the way for the Korean people to independent development. The symbol of the military brotherhood of the two peoples is the monument on Moranbong Hill, erected in 1946 in the center of Pyongyang in honor of the liberation of Korea by the Red Army.
The Soviet Union was the first in the world to recognize the young Democratic People's Republic of Korea, establishing diplomatic relations with it. And already on March 17, 1949, during the first visit to Moscow of the founder of the DPRK, Comrade Kim Il Sung, an agreement on economic and cultural cooperation between the USSR and The DPRK, which laid the legal foundation for further strengthening bilateral cooperation. Our country helped our Korean friends to build a national economy, establish a healthcare system, develop science and education, and train professional administrative and technical personnel.
During the difficult time of the Patriotic Liberation War of 1950-1953, the Soviet Union also extended a helping hand to the people of the DPRK, supported them in the struggle for independence. And subsequently provided significant assistance in restoring and strengthening the national economy of the young Korean state, in establishing a peaceful life.
My first visit to Pyongyang in 2000 and the return visit next year of the Chairman of the State Defense Committee of the DPRK, Comrade Kim Jong Il, to Russia has become an important new milestone in the relations between our countries. The bilateral declarations signed at that time defined the main priorities and directions of our creative multifaceted partnership for the years ahead.
The current leader of the DPRK, Comrade Kim Jong-un, confidently follows the course laid down by his predecessors, outstanding statesmen and friends of the Russian people, Comrades Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong-il. I was once again convinced of this during our meeting, which took place in September last year in Russia at the Vostochny cosmodrome.
Today, as before, Russia and The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is actively developing a multifaceted partnership. We highly appreciate the strong support of the DPRK in conducting a Russian special military operation on Ukraine, solidarity with us on key international issues, readiness to defend common priorities and views on the United Nations platform. Pyongyang has been and remains our staunch like-minded and supporter, ready to resolutely resist the desire of the collective West to prevent the formation of a multipolar world order based on justice, mutual respect for sovereignty, and consideration of each other's interests.
The United States of America is struggling to impose on the world the so-called rules-based order, which, in fact, is nothing more than a global neo-colonial dictatorship based on double standards. Countries that disagree with this approach and pursue an independent policy are facing increasingly severe external pressure. The US leadership considers such a natural and legitimate desire for independence and independence as a threat to its dominance in the world.
The United States and its satellites openly declare that their goal is to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia. They are doing everything to prolong and inflame the conflict with greater force on Ukraine, which they provoked themselves by supporting and organizing an armed coup d'etat in In Kiev in 2014, and then the war in Donbas. At the same time, all these years they have repeatedly rejected all our attempts to peacefully resolve the situation. Russia has been and will be open to an equal dialogue on all the most difficult issues. I spoke about this again recently - during a meeting with Russian diplomats in Moscow.
At the same time, on the contrary, our opponents continue to supply the neo-Nazi Kiev regime with money, weapons and intelligence, and allow and actually encourage the use of modern Western weapons and equipment to strike at Russian territory. And most often - for deliberately peaceful purposes. They threaten to send to Ukraine has its own military contingents. At the same time, they are trying to exhaust our economy with new sanctions and provoke an increase in socio-political tensions within the country.
But no matter how hard they tried, all their attempts to contain and isolate Russia failed. We continue to confidently increase our economic potential, develop industry, technology, infrastructure, science, education, and culture.
It is encouraging that our Korean friends - despite years of economic pressure, provocations, blackmail and military threats from the United States - are equally effective in defending their interests. We see with what strength, dignity, and courage the people of the DPRK are fighting for their freedom, sovereignty, and national traditions. He is achieving tremendous results, real breakthroughs in strengthening the country's defense and technological, scientific, and industrial power. At the same time, the country's leadership, led by Comrade Kim Jong-un, has repeatedly expressed a desire to resolve all existing differences in peace. However, Washington, refusing to implement previously reached agreements, continuously puts forward new, increasingly stringent and obviously unacceptable demands.
Russia has always supported and will continue to support the DPRK and the heroic Korean people in their confrontation with the insidious, dangerous and aggressive enemy, in their struggle for independence, identity, and the right to choose the path of development themselves.
We are also ready to work closely together to make international relations more democratic and stable. To do this, we will develop alternative mechanisms of trade and mutual settlements beyond the control of the West, and jointly resist illegitimate unilateral restrictions. And at the same time, to build an architecture of equal and indivisible security in Eurasia.
Of course, we will develop humanitarian cooperation between our countries. There are plans to enhance academic mobility between Russian and Korean universities. To further increase mutual tourist trips, cultural, educational, youth and sports exchanges. Everything that "humanizes" communication between countries and peoples strengthens trust and mutual understanding.
I am firmly convinced that through joint efforts we will be able to bring bilateral cooperation to an even higher level, which will contribute to the development of mutually beneficial and equal cooperation between Russia and The DPRK, strengthening our sovereignty, deepening trade and economic ties, developing contacts in the humanitarian sphere and ultimately improving the well-being of the citizens of the two states.
I wish good health to Comrade Kim Jong-un, and all the friendly people of the DPRK - peace and great success on the path of development.
