MOSCOW, June 18. /TASS/. The declarations that were signed by Russia and North Korea in 2000 determined the main priorities and tracks of the partnership between the two countries and became an important milestone, Russian President Vladimir Putin wrote in an article for the Rodong Sinmun newspaper on the eve of his state visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

"My first visit to Pyongyang in 2000 and the return visit of Comrade Kim Jong Il, Chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK, to Russia the following year marked new important milestones in the relations between our countries. The bilateral declarations signed back then defined the main priorities and areas of our constructive multidimensional partnership for years to come," the Russian leader noted.

Putin will visit the North Korean capital on June 18-19.