North Korea hosted a banquet in Russia to commemorate the 9th Congress of the Workers’ Party, underscoring the strong alliance between Pyongyang and Moscow.
On April 5, the party’s official newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, reported that the commemorative banquet for the 9th Congress was held on March 31 at the North Korean embassy in Russia.
The event was attended by Shin Hong-chul, North Korea’s ambassador to Russia, along with embassy staff. Russian attendees included Andrey Klimov, a member of the Supreme Council of the United Russia party, as well as officials from the Defense Ministry, Interior Ministry, Foreign Ministry, the Peace and Unity Party, the Moscow branch of the Communist Party, and representatives from the Zavtra newspaper.
Ambassador Shin stated that the party congress has established strategic tactics to usher in a new era of development across all aspects of party and state affairs. This enables them to accelerate the realization of the vision for national revival and prosperity with renewed confidence and vigor.
He further emphasized that its party is committed to strengthening cooperation with various Russian political parties, including United Russia, to further solidify and advance the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two nations.
Klimov remarked that the re-election of the esteemed Kim Jong Un as General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea reaffirms generational continuity and promises a bright future for both countries. North Korea has demonstrated that by bolstering its own strength, it can maintain its sovereignty even in the face of hostile actions from Western nations.
The newspaper reported that attendees raised toasts to the health of Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as to the strengthening of the friendly cooperative relationship between North Korea and Russia.
A previous report indicated that a similar banquet was held at the North Korean embassy in China on the same day. Attendees included Li Shulei, head of the Central Propaganda Department of the Communist Party of China, along with officials from key Chinese ministries such as the Central Propaganda Department, the International Liaison Department, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. North Korean representatives included Li Ryong-nam, the ambassador to China, and embassy staff.