General Secretary Kim Jong Il received a congratulatory message from Raul Castro Ruz, second secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers of Cuba, on April 23.

The message said:

I extend congratulations to you on behalf of the party, government and people of Cuba on your reelection as chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission.

I, at the same time, reassure you that Cuba will steadily boost the fraternal relations between the two parties, governments and peoples.

Source: KCNA - April 30, 2009