North Korea: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sent a message congratulating Russian President Vladimir Putin on Russia Day, reported the North's state media on Wednesday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, North Korean Ambassador to Russia Sin Hong-chol conveyed Kim's message to the relevant official at the Russian foreign ministry, as reported by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Russia Day, observed on June 12, marks the 1990 adoption by the Russian parliament of the declaration of state sovereignty of the present-day Russian Federation.
Details of Kim's letter were not disclosed, but the message likely reaffirmed the North's commitment to advancing their bilateral relations. This commitment is based on the treaty signed by the two leaders in June last year. In his previous message to Putin on Russia Day last year, Kim referred to their bilateral ties as "a strategic asset" for both countries, reaffirming the North's commitment to advancing the relationship "in line with the demands of the new era."