Pyongyang, May 5 (KCNA) -- The 24th Pyongyang Spring International Trade Fair opened.

Presented to the fair on the theme of "For the common development and prosperity" are excellent products that more than 290 enterprises and companies of the DPRK, Russia, China, Mongolia, Switzerland and Thailand produced by introducing advanced science and technology.

Tens of thousands of products of over 1 700 kinds, including electronic appliances, machines, building materials, goods in the fields of agriculture, public health, fishery and light industry and foodstuffs and daily necessities, are displayed at the Central Youth Hall and the Okryu Exhibition House.

During the fair there will take place an introduction of enterprises and companies for economic exchange and cooperation and a briefing of products.

An opening ceremony took place at the Central Youth Hall on May 4.

Present there were Yun Jong Ho, minister of External Economic Relations of the DPRK, officials concerned and officials of the exhibitor units, delegations of different countries and members of the diplomatic corps here.

Yun Jong Ho made an opening address.

The speaker stressed that it is the consistent external economic policy of the DPRK to continue to develop bilateral and multilateral cooperation while strengthening external economic relations with different countries and regions of the world on the principle of equality and mutual benefit.

He affirmed that the DPRK would as ever steadily expand its external economic relations with all countries respecting its sovereignty and taking friendly attitude to it and strive to build a just and peaceful new world.

At the end of the ceremony the participants went round the venue of the fair. -0-