Among those present there on invitation were Russian Vice Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov, deputies to the State Duma including the head of the Russia-DPRK Friendship Parliamentary Group of the State Duma and others.

Present there were Kim Yong Jae, DPRK ambassador to Russia, and his embassy officials.

The participants firstly laid a floral basket and bouquets before a full-length picture of President Kim Il Sung and leader Kim Jong Il and paid tribute.

They looked round works of the peerlessly great men of Mt. Paektu and photos showing the path covered by the DPRK.

Kim Yong Jae in his speech said Kim Il Sung founded the DPRK 65 years ago and turned it into a socialist power -- independent in politics, self-supporting in the economy and self-reliant in national defense -- and Kim Jong Il developed the country into a political, ideological and military power, upholding the banner of Songun.

He went on:

It is an invariable stand of the Workers' Party and the DPR of Korea to value the tradition of the DPRK-Russia friendship and continue to boost it as required by the new century.

The DPRK will make all efforts to expand and develop the bilateral relations onto a higher stage under the agreement reached at the top level and in the spirit of the DPRK-Russia joint declarations to meet the aspiration and desires of the peoples of the two countries this year significantly marking the 65th anniversary of the establishment of the DPRK-Russia diplomatic ties.

Igor Morgulov said that September 9 is a significant day in the history of the Korean people when they took back the state power from the colonial rule by the Japanese imperialists.

He noted that the development of Russia-DPRK friendship which overcame the trials of the history and many-sided cooperation between the two countries absolutely favored the fundamental interests of the peoples of the two countries, expressing the will to actively cooperate with the DPRK in various fields.

He wished supreme leader Kim Jong Un good health and the Korean people great successes in their drive for achieving socio-economic development and the promotion of people's well-being under his leadership.