The Pyongyang-Moscow direct airline has been resumed amid the many-sided visits and contacts being expanded and strengthened day by day between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation.

The first plane left Moscow and landed at the Pyongyang International Airport on the 28th before entering the apron in front of the terminal.

A ceremony was held to congratulate the resumption of the direct airline.

Present at the ceremony were Yun Jong Ho, Minister of External Economic Relations who is Chairman of the DPRK Side to the DPRK-Russia Inter-Governmental Committee for Cooperation in Trade, Economy, Science and Technology, officials of the institutions concerned including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Aviation Administration and employees of the Pyongyang International Airport.

Also on hand were Alexandr Kozlov, Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology who is Chairman of the Russian Side to the Russia-DPRK Inter-Governmental Committee for Cooperation in Trade, Economy, Science and Technology, and his party, Alexandr Matsegora, Russian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the DPRK, staff members of his embassy and the crewmen of the Russian plane.

Korean stewardesses warmly welcomed the crewmen of the Russian plane, presenting them with bouquets.

Congratulatory addresses were made at the ceremony.

Alexandr Kozlov said it is his great honour to take part in the event for celebrating the resumption of the Moscow-Pyongyang direct airline and mentioned the strengthened and developed cooperation between the two countries in the field of transport.

Saying that Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, President of the Russian Federation, and Kim Jong Un, President of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, concluded the treaty on strategic partnership between the two countries, thus laying a firm foundation for the development of the Russia-DPRK friendship, he stressed that today the peoples of the two countries are witnessing the development of bilateral friendly relations.

Yun Jong Ho warmly welcomed the mission of Russia who visited the DPRK on the occasion of the first flight for the resumption of the Moscow-Pyongyang direct airline and said it is another clear demonstration of the bilateral friendly relations which are being developed extraordinarily.

He expressed the belief that in the future, too, remarkable successes would be made in the economic cooperation between the DPRK and Russia to make a substantial contribution to the promotion of well-being of the two peoples true to the noble intention of the top leaders of the two countries.