Kim Jong Un, president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, met Vladimir Putin, president of the Russian Federation, at the Vostochny Spaceport in Amur Province of the Russian Far East. Experts unanimously commented that the summit constituted a new landmark in the course of development of the DPRK-Russia relations.
A major argument is that the summit was held in none other than a spaceport. After the news of Kim Jong Un’s visit to the Russian Federation was announced, experts and world media naturally paid attention to where the summit would be held because the place is also a considerably significant issue for a summit.
Beyond the expectations of all experts and media, the top leaders of the two countries met at the Vostochny Spaceport.
A spaceport is the top-secret place in all countries. Today outer space has not only enormous economic value but great significance in ensuring security of countries, so there is an intense competition in space development among countries. In the light of this, a spaceport is not merely a place of technical know-hows but a place directly related to a country’s security environment. The fact that such a closely-guarded place was chosen for the summit eloquently shows the depth of traditional DPRK-Russia friendship forged in the trials of history from one generation into the next and from one century into the next.
Another noteworthy fact is that Kim Jong Un’s visit to the spaceport was made personally guided by Putin.
Putin organized the visit, received him in front of the carrier rocket assembly and test complex, and accompanied him during the whole visit. He also had Yuri Borisov, CEO of the Russian state-run corporation Roscosmos, and Nikolai Nestechuk, director general of the Centre for the Operation of Ground-based Space Infrastructure, personally brief Kim Jong Un on the detailed technical specifications of Soyuz-2, Angara and carrier rockets of other types and their assembling and launching processes. When Kim Jong Un was looking around the Soyuz-2 carrier rocket launching complex and the Angara carrier rocket launching complex under construction, they explained to him about the state of their operation and construction, successes and experience gained by Russia in the field of space industry and the prospects for future development.
Other convincing arguments that testify to the fact that the DPRK-Russia relations set up a new landmark are hearty welcome Putin extended to Kim Jong Un and the comprehensive agenda items of the summit.
Putin, beyond the diplomatic conventions, showed the DPRK leader his private car and had a friendly talk with him inside it. This was a graphic illustration of the relations between the two countries and intimate friendship and comradeship between the two leaders.
Also, at the reception hosted in welcome of Kim Jong Un’s visit to Russia, Putin highly appreciated that Russia-DPRK relations have been forged by friendly, comradely and goodwill ties and are oriented to comradely and good neighbourly relations as ever.
The agenda items of the summit are also meaningful.
The top leaders of the two countries exchanged in-depth views on the remarkable successes and experience of constructive cooperation gained in all the political, economic, military and cultural fields for attaining the strategic goals of building theirs into powerful states, and the future development orientation for national rejuvenation and well-being of their peoples.
What is particularly noteworthy is that they shared an understanding that the DPRK and the Russian Federation stand on the common front to frustrate the imperialists’ military threat and provocation, high-handedness and arbitrariness, aimed at violating the independence, progress and peaceful life of humankind. Proceeding from this, they discussed with open mind the important issues and the items of immediate cooperation for defending the sovereignty and development interests of the two countries, peace and security in the region and the rest of the world and international justice through joint efforts by further strengthening strategic and tactical cooperation between the two countries and extending strong support to and solidarity with each other. They reached a satisfactory agreement and consensus of views.
Rodong Sinmun, the organ of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, highly praised about the significance of the summit by writing that “it powerfully promoted the struggle of justice for carrying out the cause of anti-imperialist independence” by the two countries. This comment enables anyone to guess easily how the relations between the two countries will develop in the future. It can be said that a new landmark has been set up to prove that the DPRK-Russia relations are invincible ones of comrades-in-arms and strategic ones of lasting significance based on close intimacy and special friendship between General Secretary Kim Jong Un and President Putin.
