Chairman of State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Kim Jong-un (retranslated): Friends and comrades from Russia, participants in the signing ceremony of a new treaty between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation.
At this moment, when the whole world is carefully following the events in Pyongyang, where a mission of friendship has arrived from Russia, I stand with my Russian comrades, the most honest friends and associates in this solemn hall, and this gives me a deep feeling.
Just now President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and I signed a Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation, which will forever shine in the history of the development of friendly relations between the DPRK and the Russian Federation. This is an important event.
I feel honoured and proud that I, as Chairman of State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin accomplished an event of enormous strategic weight and significance in the name of the two nations: the DPRK and the Russian Federation, and not only for today, but also for tomorrow.
Thanks to signing the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation, the relations between the two countries are on the path to further promising and prosperous development in order to achieve progress of the two countries and improve the well-being of their peoples through active cooperation in various fields, including politics, the economy, culture, and military affairs.
Relations between our countries have risen to a new high level of alliance. A legal basis has been laid, making it possible to fulfil the ambitious plan of the leadership of the two countries and the age-old aspiration of our peoples to reliably protect peace and security in the region and in the world and to build strong states in line with the common interests of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation.
I express deep satisfaction that the great interstate treaty, which meets the strategic nature of relations between the DPRK and the Russian Federation in the new era, was concluded only nine months after Comrade President Putin and I discussed the signing of a new interstate treaty at the Vostochny Cosmodrome last September. I want to emphasise that the emergence of the most comprehensive treaty in the history of Korean-Russian relations is unthinkable without the outstanding foresight, dauntless will and decisiveness of Comrade President of the Russian Federation, a dearest friend of the Korean people.
Comrades, times have changed. As, undoubtedly, changed the status of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation in the international geopolitical structure. Today, the anchor has been raised at this spot and the solemn start of allied relations between the DPRK and the Russian Federation has been announced, which represents a watershed in the history of Russian-Korean relations.
The Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea will always faithfully fulfil its obligations under the treaty along the entire further path towards the continuous development of a comprehensive strategic partnership and invincible allied relations with the Russian Federation. This comprehensive agreement between the two countries, the DPRK and the Russian Federation, is nothing less than a document of a very constructive, future-oriented, exclusively peace-loving and defensive nature, designed to protect and defend the basic interests of the two nations. I have no doubt that it will become a driving force accelerating the creation of a new multipolar world, free from domination, enslavement, hegemony, and violence.
Here today I solemnly proclaim the unwavering will of our government. There will be not the slightest disagreement in interpretation, or hesitation or uncertainty in fulfilling all historical tasks to develop eternal friendship and increase the benefits of the two countries’ peoples and future generations, as well as in faithfully fulfilling our duties and overcoming, through coordinated common efforts, any possible difficulties that both our countries have already collided with or will collide in the future.
Before this treaty, a lot of significant joint documents that made it to the history of the Korean-Russian friendship have been signed, and numerous events were held, especially those that attracted attention. I would like to express my hope that this signing ceremony will be a strategic choice, the importance of which will be highlighted on the path of the further centuries-long development of bilateral relations, as well as an unforgettable moment promising a brighter future for the two nations.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Comrade Chairman, friends,
First of all, I would like to thank, from the bottom of my heart, Chairman of State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Comrade Kim Jong-un for the invitation to visit your country. I am glad to visit the hospitable Korean land once again.
We prioritise strengthening the traditionally friendly and neighbourly relations between Russia and the DPRK that are rooted in the glorious traditions of our shared history. Allow me to remind you that the Soviet Union played an essential role in liberating Korea from the Japanese colonial rule. This year, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea marks 75 years since concluding its first international agreement – and it was a treaty with our country.
We supported Korean people during the Fatherland Liberation War of 1950–1953 and helped with restoring peaceful life and the economy.
Over the following decades, Russia and the DPRK have accumulated impressive record of mutual partnership across many areas. Most importantly, our countries are genuinely interested in continuing most active cooperation between the senior officials of our economic agencies, parliaments, law enforcement, security, foreign policy agencies, and between our public organisations and citizens.
Today, we held constructive talks covering the entire scope of our practical cooperation. We signed a new interstate treaty, the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which outlines large-scale objectives and guidelines for deepening Russia-DPRK links for the long term, including in politics, trade and investment, culture, humanitarian affairs and security.
I agree that this is a truly breakthrough document, which reflects the two countries’ intention not to rest on their laurels, but to raise their relations to a new qualitative level.
As for trade, the absolute figures are still small, but we observe very good dynamics. In 2023, trade increased ninefold. Over the first five months of this year, it grew by another 54 percent.
The Intergovernmental Commission is working well on a variety of areas of our cooperation. Let me mention the strategically important project to upgrade the Khasan-Rajin railway with the participation of our company, Russian Railways.
Renovation is underway of the combined 1435/1520 mm gauge from the Khasan checkpoint in Russia to the Korean port of Rajin, where an up-to-date multimodal transloading terminal has been built. All this is used, among other things, in the interests of third countries; in particular, a large batch of coal has been supplied to Chinese consumers. Passenger rail traffic between our countries has been restored. The first tourists have already used it.
Relations in agriculture as well as in culture and humanitarian spheres are also developing. Comrade Kim Jong-un personally oversaw the tour of a ballet company of the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre, which was a great success in the DPRK.
Relations in education are developing. As of today, 130 citizens of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea are studying in Russia, and we will develop this cooperation in the future.
Cooperation in sports has also been established. We are beginning to develop tourism. Tourist groups are being formed for the summer season, with a focus on vacations at Korean seaside resorts.
And, of course, security issues and the international agenda were in the focus of attention during today’s talks. Our countries consistently defend the ideas of creating a more just and democratic multipolar world order. It must be based on international law and cultural and civilisational diversity.
Both Russia and Korea conduct an independent and autonomous foreign policy and do not accept the language of blackmail and dictate. We are against the practice of applying politically motivated sanctions and restrictions. These illegitimate actions can only shatter the world political and economic system.
Notwithstanding the external pressure, our countries are successfully developing on a sovereign and independent basis, they have rendered and will continue to render each other an all-round support as genuine friends and good neighbours.
We will also keep opposing the very practice of cutthroat sanctions as a tool that the West got used to apply for preserving its hegemony in politics, the economy and many other areas. In this context, I would like to note that the unlimited restrictive regime of the UN Security Council inspired by the United States and its allies with respect to the DPRK should be revised.
The propaganda cliches reproduced time after time by the Westerners are no longer able to disguise their aggressive geopolitical designs, including in Northeast Asia. Our opinions regarding the root causes of escalation of the military-political tension coincide. They include the US confrontational policy of expanding its military infrastructure in the sub-region, which is accompanied by a substantial increase in the scope and intensity of various military exercises involving the Republic of Korea and Japan, which have a hostile nature towards the DPRK. Such steps undermine peace and stability on the peninsula and threaten the security of all the countries of Northeast Asia. We resolutely reject the attempts to hold the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea responsible for the deterioration of the situation. Pyongyang is entitled to take reasonable measures to strengthen its defence capacity, provide for national security and protect sovereignty.
Russia is ready to continue its political and diplomatic efforts to eliminate the threat of the recurrence of an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula and to build an architecture of long-term peace and stability there based on the principle of the indivisible security.
The Treaty on Comprehensive Partnership signed today contemplates, among other things, mutual assistance in the event of aggression against one of the parties thereto.
I would like to draw your attention to the statement from the United States and other NATO countries about the supply of long-range high-precision weapons, F-16 aircraft and other technology-intensive arms and equipment for delivering strikes at Russian territory. In fact, it was not just a statement. It is already happening. This is a grave violation of the restrictions to which the Western countries committed under various international obligations.
In this context, the Russian Federation does not rule out developing military and technical cooperation with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea under the document signed today. Our Korean friends take objective and balanced stance on Ukraine settlement and understand the true original causes of this crisis. The DPRK leadership’s course once again confirms that the DPRK truly pursues independence, autonomy and sovereignty.
I want to thank our Korean friends and personally Comrade Kim Jong-un for organising recreation for children whose fathers died in the special military operation, at the Songdowon Children’s Camp. We highly value this sincere gesture of care and friendship.
Finally, I would like to thank Comrade Kim Jong-un and our Korean colleagues once again for their hospitality and for our fruitful joint work. I am confident that today’s talks will contribute to further development of friendship and partnership between Russia and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and to strengthening of security across the entire region.
Comrade Kim Jong-un, we look forward to seeing you in Moscow.
And finally, thank you to the residents of Pyongyang for such a warm welcome today.
Thank you.