▲ North Korean leader Kim Jong-un speaks at the opening of a congress of the Workers' Party of Korea on Feb. 19, 2026, in this photo from the Korean Central News Agency the following day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

N Korea-China-Russia

China, Russia send congratulations to N. Korea over party congress opening

SEOUL, Feb. 20 (Yonhap) -- China and Russia, traditionally aligned with North Korea, have sent congratulatory letters to the North in recognition of its opening of the first congress of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) in five years, state media reported Friday.

Dmitry Medvedev, chief of the ruling United Russia party, sent a letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Wednesday, which was followed the next day by a letter from the central committee of China's Communist Party, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

North Korea kicked off a party congress Thursday, the highest decision-making organ in the country and the first since 2021, to set major policy goals on the economy, defense and other key areas.

In his letter, Medvedev, a close confidant of Russian President Vladimir Putin, said the two countries' traditional friendship and strategic partnership help them defy "external pressure" and ensure "peace and stability in the Asia Pacific region," according to the KCNA.

Medvedev stressed the role of the ruling parties of the two countries in advancing bilateral relations, adding that he expects to "further advance trustworthy discussions between the two parties on a wide scale, including matters of mutual interest."

The Chinese ruling party, meanwhile, said that the two countries have entered a "new historic era" under the "strategic guidance of their national leaders," emphasizing its "high-level focus" on relations with the WPK.

"(We) are willing to jointly guide the solid and stable development of China-North Korea relations by strengthening communications and deepening exchanges on experiences in state management ... and to promote regional peace and stability," the Chinese party said.

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