Tuman River Motor Bridge Named after Yakov Nobichenko Inaugurated

Pyongyang, September 8 (KCNA) -- At a time when multi-faceted cooperation and exchange between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation are further developing with each passing day on the basis of the comprehensive strategic partnership and the relations of invincible alliance, the Tuman River Motor Bridge linking Rason Municipality with Khasan, border cities of the two countries, has been successfully completed.

True to the noble intention of Comrade Kim Jong Un, President of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and Comrade Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, President of the Russian Federation, the governments and builders of the two countries successfully built the bridge, in keeping with designing and construction needs, in a short span of 495 days with a single mind to demonstrate the durable and future-oriented friendship and contribute to promoting the wellbeing of the two peoples.

The completion of the motor bridge, which can ensure the safe passage of various kinds of vehicles and personnel traffic, provides a guarantee for building up and reinforcing an important infrastructure for economic cooperation between the two countries and revitalizing multi-faceted cooperation including human exchange, tourism and commodity circulation.

The monumental edifice to be brilliantly recorded in the history of the DPRK-Russia friendly relations was named after Yakov Nobichenko, an officer of the Red Army and an internationalist soldier. This is a manifestation of the steadfast will of the leaderships and peoples of both countries to invariably develop the good-neighborly relations between the two peoples into genuine comradely relations of trust.

The inauguration ceremony of the Tuman River Motor Bridge named after Yakov Nobichenko took place simultaneously in Rason Municipality, a border city of the DPRK, and Khasan, a border city of the Russian Federation, on Monday.

Pak Thae Song, premier of the Cabinet of the DPRK, and Mikhail Vladimirovich Mishustin, prime minister of the Russian Federation, attended the inauguration ceremony in Pyongyang and Moscow on TV.

Present there were Kim Tok Hun, first vice-premier of the Cabinet of the DPRK, Yun Jong Ho, minister of External Economic Relations and chairman of the DPRK side to the DPRK-Russia Inter-governmental Committee for Cooperation in Trade, Economy, Science and Technology, Yang Yong Jin, minister of Land and Environment Protection, Sin Chang Il, chairman of the Rason Municipal People's Committee, Kim Jong Gyu, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, officials concerned, builders and working people in Rason Municipality.

Vladimir Topekha, charge d'affaires ad interim of the Russian embassy here, and Oleg Kosheev, Russian consul general in Chongjin, were on hand.

The national anthems of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation were played.

Mikhail Vladimirovich Mishustin, prime minister of the Russian Federation, made a congratulatory speech.

He said that the cooperation on the construction of transport objects between the two governments was an item of the agreement reached at the meeting between Comrade Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, President of the Russian Federation, and Comrade Kim Jong Un, President of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, in Pyongyang two years ago, adding that they are witnessing a historic event of inauguration of the motor bridge.

The relations between Russia and the DPRK have been put on an unprecedentedly high level of comprehensive strategic partnership, he said, adding that the two countries are actively cooperating with each other in all fields and directing their efforts to ensuring the regional peace and stability.

He said that the long-standing friendship, good-neighborliness and mutual assistance between the two countries are irrespective of the international situation, adding that Russia would as ever do its utmost for the multifaceted development of the bilateral relations.

Pak Thae Song, premier of the DPRK Cabinet, made a congratulatory speech.

He expressed sincere thanks to the designers, builders and those of relevant institutions of the two countries who devoted their inexhaustible enthusiasm and efforts to bringing earlier the inauguration of the Tuman River Motor Bridge.

The completion of the bridge is a significant event adding a new dynamic movement to the overall bilateral cooperation, he said, stressing that the eye-opening reality, in which the monumental wealth of the DPRK-Russia friendship and cooperation is growing, gives pleasure and joy to the peoples of the two countries while injecting vitality to the development of the bilateral relations.

He noted that the governments of the two countries would as ever continue to achieve substantial fruitions in cooperation for the common development and prosperity, based on the valuable successes and experience accumulated through the construction of the bridge.

As instructed by the heads of governments of the two countries, Kim Tok Hun, first vice-premier of the DPRK Cabinet, and Vladimir Topekha, charge d'affaires ad interim of the Russian embassy to the DPRK, cut the inauguration tape at the venue of the inaugural ceremony in Rason Municipality and Alexandr Kozlov, minister of Natural Resources and Ecology of Russia who is chairman of the Russian side to the Russia-DPRK Inter-governmental Committee for Cooperation in Trade, Economy, Science and Technology, Minister of Transport Andrei Nikitin, Minister of Development of the Far East and Arctic Aleksei Chekunkov and DPRK Ambassador to Russia Sin Hong Chol at the venue of the inaugural ceremony in Khasan.

Trucks of both sides passed through the bridge amid the let-off of fireworks to congratulate the completion of the bridge and the loud applause of the participants.

The heads of governments in their concluding speeches said that the Tuman River Motor Bridge is a new symbol and proud creation of friendship between the two countries, expressing the steadfast stand of the two governments to actively implement the agreement made at the historic meeting between the top leaders of the DPRK and Russia.

Then the participants went round the bridge.

The inauguration of the bridge serves as a significant occasion in designing and actively implementing the equally-beneficial bilateral exchanges and long-term cooperative plans in all fields under the outstanding foresightedness and strategic guidance of the top leaders of the DPRK and Russia. -0-