Moscow: The North Korean Embassy in Russia has hosted a banquet celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), with attendance from prominent Russian parliamentary and government figures, as reported by state media.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the event took place last Thursday and included North Korean Ambassador to Russia Sin Hong-chol and several Russian officials. Among the attendees were Gennady Zyuganov, leader of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation; Ivan Melnikov, the first vice chairman of the State Duma; and Deputy Defense Minister Andrey Bulyga, as reported by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

During his speech at the banquet, Sin highlighted the WPK's achievements in building significant national defense capabilities and protecting the country's sovereignty and safety interests against global challenges, according to the KCNA.

Zyuganov remarked that the relationship between Russia and North Korea is evolving into a strategic national policy direction that benefits both nations. He also paid tribute to North Korean soldiers who fought alongside Russia in the Kursk region during the conflict with Ukraine.

Bulyga noted that the friendly relations between the two countries are growing across multiple sectors and expressed optimism that the tradition of cooperation and friendship will persist.

The Workers' Party anniversary was marked by several events in North Korea last week, including a military parade on Friday attended by Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, who was the highest-ranking Russian official present.