Response (Oral Message) of the President of the [Socialist Federal] Republic [of Yugoslavia], J.B. Tito [to Kim Il Sung's Message of July 1, 1978]

Dear Comrade Kim Il Sung,

On this occasion of the 30th anniversary since the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea was declared, it is with great pleasure that I am sending you the warmest regards and sincere wishes for further success in all-around socialist growth of the friendly Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and for the well-being of your people and your personal happiness.

During my last year’s visit to your country, I had an opportunity to learn about many successes the Korean people achieved in its thirty-year socialist nation-building headed by the Workers’ Party of Korea with you as its leader.

Deeply respecting the great successes that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea achieved under your leadership and having in mind how friendly the relationship between our countries is, we decided to send a delegation headed by the SFRY presidency’s Vice President Fadilj Hodža to the celebration of your great jubilee.

I want to use this opportunity as well to tell you that I remember with great pleasure the exceptional hospitality that you and your people showed us during my visit to your wonderful country last year.

The discussions we had on that occasion showed to be new incentives for the development of the friendly relations between our two non-aligned countries.

I especially appreciate that you sent the high delegation headed by Comrade Pak Seong-cheol [Pak Son Chol] to the Ninth Congress of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia. At the Congress, he relayed a friendly message and gave us symbolic gifts sent by the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea. This gesture of the Workers’ Party of Korea, lead by you, was received by all of us as an expression of sincere friendly relationship between the League of Communists of Yugoslavia and the Workers’ Party of Korea, and the mutual respect between the peoples of our two countries.

I especially thank you for the friendly message and well wishes that Comrade Pak Seong-cheol gave to me.

We also received, with understanding, your opinion and thoughts that you voiced in the message about the suggestion for informal discussions on a lower level between the deputies of your country, the United States of America and the regime of south Korea, that I told you more about in my message sent on March 28 this year.

I am sure that the road you chose for resolving the question of unification of your country in a peaceful manner, through negotiation and without third-party meddling, will be crowned with success.

I also want to use this opportunity to once again express our position that Yugoslavia will continue to firmly support your efforts, which are in the best interests not only of the Korean people, but of establishing a wider trust, understanding, cooperation and peace in the world, to peacefully unify your country, as it has done so far.

I believe, dear Comrade President, that you are thoroughly informed about the recently held Ministers' Conference of non-aligned countries in Belgrade through Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Heo Dam [Ho Dam]. I will use this opportunity to express how pleased we are that the conference, despite the complex situation in which it was held, confirmed the decisiveness of the great majority of non-aligned countries about maintaining and further strengthening the Non-Aligned Movement’s unity of action and its orientation, which are a pledge for its even more prominent role on the international scene in the future.

I wish to especially highlight how the DPR Korea contributed during the course of the Ministers' Conference of non-aligned countries and to its positive outcome. The constructive engagement of your delegation, based on the principles of true non-alignment, contributed to the positive outcome of the conference and to DPR Korea’s growing authority in the ranks of non-aligned countries. The opinions that your delegation stated in regards of the question of the right of Korean people for a peaceful unification were met with the widest support among the member-countries and they significantly contributed to the successful outcome of the Ministers’ conference. We are very satisfied and we appreciate that a very constructive and close cooperation between our countries was established during the preparations for this conference, as well as during the course of it, and that there was a show of uniform views about all the questions of the non-aligned movement.

Lastly, allow me, dear Comrade Kim Il Sung, to sincerely extend my well wishes for your holiday once again.

I am sure that the relations of friendship and cooperation between our two countries, parties and people will continue to incessantly spread and grow in both of our best interests, and in the interest of peace and progress in the world.

I am using this opportunity to offer you my expression of friendly feelings and sincere respect.

[signed] Tito