North Korea’s Kim sends congratulatory letter to Putin on Russia Day

By Berk Kutay Gokmen

ISTANBUL (AA) – North Korea’s Kim Jong Un sent a congratulatory Russia Day letter to President Vladimir Putin, Seoul-based Yonhap News reported on Wednesday, citing North Korean state media.

North Korean Ambassador to Russia Sin Hong-chol "respectfully" delivered Kim's message to an appropriate official at the Russian Foreign Ministry, according to the Korean Central News Agency.

Russia Day, celebrated on June 12, commemorates the 1990 declaration by the Russian parliament affirming the state sovereignty of what is now the Russian Federation.

Although the specifics of Kim's message were not made public, it likely emphasized North Korea's continued dedication to strengthening bilateral ties, following the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty signed by the two nations' leaders last June.

In his message to Putin on Russia Day last year, Kim described their relationship as "a strategic asset" for both sides and reiterated the North's strong commitment to enhancing the partnership "in line with the demands of the new era."

On June 4, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu arrived in Pyongyang to meet with Kim in Pyongyang, with both sides pledging to develop ties into "powerful and comprehensive relations of a strategic partnership."