Pak In-chol, Chairman of North Korea’s Supreme People’s Assembly, attended the Sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament in Geneva, Switzerland. There, he held talks with representatives from four countries, including Russia, and condemned what he described as the tyranny and arbitrariness of imperialists.
On August 3, the Workers’ Party’s official newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, reported that Chairman Pak participated in the conference for three days from July 29 to 31.
The World Conference of Presidents of Parliament, hosted by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), is a quinquennial gathering of parliamentary leaders from around the world. Since 2000, it has served as a platform for discussing global problem solving through multilateralism and fostering solidarity. North Korea has consistently attended related meetings since joining the IPU in 1973.
The newspaper explained that the conference tackled issues to strengthen cooperation and multilateralism among parliaments in achieving world peace, prosperity, and international justice.
During his address, Chairman Pak denounced the tyranny and arbitrariness of imperialists who plunge the world into social instability and chaos to maintain their monopolistic and hegemonic positions. He argued that to build a world that guarantees peace, justice, and prosperity, countries must achieve independent development while establishing international relations that respect the sovereign rights of all nations.
The newspaper reported that Chairman Pak emphasized the role of North Korea’s Supreme People’s Assembly in defending national sovereignty. He stressed the importance of strengthening relations with friendly parliaments that respect North Korea’s dignity and national interests.
According to the newspaper, during the conference, Chairman Pak met with the chairs of the Russian Federation Council, the Mongolian State Great Khural, the Vietnamese National Assembly, and the vice chair of the Lao National Assembly.
Valentina Matviyenko, Chairwoman of the Russian Federation Council, stated during their meeting that the deep friendship between the leaders of North Korea and Russia was the key factor in elevating bilateral relations to an unprecedented level, describing it as both an alliance and a comradely relationship.
She added that in the two years since the signing of the treaty on comprehensive strategic partnership, their bilateral relationship has proven its value by overcoming various challenges. Matviyenko affirmed that Russia’s support for North Korea remains unwavering.
Meanwhile, South Korea’s National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik and Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress, also attended the conference. However, it appears there were no meetings between them and the North Korean delegation.
China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency reported August 1 that Chairman Zhao met with parliamentary leaders from Brazil, Pakistan, Russia, and Kazakhstan at the conference. Notably, the report did not mention North Korea, which analysts suggest may indicate the ongoing strain in relations between North Korea and China.