Ts.Elbegdorj: Our two countries are good friends

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ The Mongolian President on October 31 delivered a lecture to scholars, professors and students of the Kim Il Sung University, N.Korea. Below is the part four of the English translation of the lecture. --continuing from the part three Mongolia - DPRK relations… Now let me briefly speak about Mongolia and DPRK relations. The relations between the peoples of Mongolia and Korea date back centuries ago. During my current visit, I visited a historical monument – the Tomb of King Kongmin. I was deeply touched and impressed by the beautiful story of love, affection and respect between the King Kongmin, the King of Koryo, and his Mongol Queen. And today, Mongolia and the DPRK maintain traditionally good relations. Our bilateral relations are the fruits of hard and hearty efforts of our honourable seniors. We’ve never forsaken each other at the times of hardship… Mongolia is the second country to establish diplomatic relations with the DPRK. On October 15, 1948 Mongolia and the DPRK signed an Agreement of Mutual Recognition. In early 1950s, in the heat of the Korean War, our two countries decided to establish respective Embassies in the two countries. Mongolia’s First Ambassador to the DPRK was a renowned statesman of Mongolia, who served as the Chairman of the Presidium of the State Great Khural of Mongolia for many years Mr.Jamsrangiin Sambuu. And during the War, when Ambassadors were urged to leave the country for security considerations, Ambassador Sambuu was the only Ambassador to stay behind in DPRK:”We are not that type of people who leave the friends behind. I will stay with comrade Kim Il Sung during these hard times”, said Ambassador Sambuu. Leader Kim Il Sung visited Mongolia for the first time in 1956, during the post-war extensive construction and development works in DPRK. For the second time, he visited Mongolia in 1988. This year marks the 25th anniversary of that visit. It is our duty to further enrich our relations, the foundation to which was laid down by our respectable seniors. Our two countries are good friends who didn’t forsake each other in the times of need and desperation. We are the people who even raised our orphan children together, who stood by each other with hands extended for help, and souls offered for solace. And I do believe that Mongolia and the DPRK will enrich our relations with new stories of shared success and happiness. --To be continued