OREANDA-NEWS  Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent a telegram to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on the occasion of Korea’s liberation day, expressing certainty about the strengthening of Moscow-Pyongyang relations, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reports.

Putin said that both Russia and North Korea honor the memory of the soldiers of the Red Army and Korean patriots who fought shoulder to shoulder for the liberation of Korea, and that these traditions of friendship and cooperation, established in those harsh years, still serve as a reliable basis for the development of good neighborly relations between the two countries.Putin expressed confidence that Russia and North Korea will "expand the comprehensive and constructive bilateral relations with common efforts," as closer ties would ensure stability on the Korean peninsula, KCNA said.The Russian President also wished good health to Kim Jong Un, and happiness and prosperity to all North Korean citizens.The National Liberation Day of Korea is celebrated annually on August 15 to commemorate the liberation of Korea from Japanese rule in 1945.