N.Korea's Kim lauds ruling party as foreign delegations visit for anniversary

9/10/2025 16:36

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has praised the legacy of the country's ruling party in a speech ahead of Friday's 80th anniversary of its founding, as delegations from China, Russia and Vietnam arrived in Pyongyang to attend celebrations.



Chinese Premier Li Qiang, a delegation from Russia led by former President Dmitry Medvedev as well as Vietnam's Communist Party chief To Lam, are among foreign dignitaries joining events to mark the anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea in the isolated state this week.



Li, who was met by an honour guard at Pyongyang's airport, said that China and North Korea "as socialist neighbours connected by mountains and rivers had a profound traditional friendship," China's foreign ministry said in a statement.



Vietnam's top leader Lam and his delegation attended a welcome ceremony at a Pyongyang sports centre, the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported. It is the first visit by a Vietnamese Communist Party leader to North Korea in nearly 20 years and cooperation agreements are expected to be signed during the visit, according to people familiar with the planning.



Medvedev, who is now deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, is visiting with a delegation that includes Natural Resources Minister Alexander Kozlov and the governor of the Kursk region.