Pyongyang, Dec 29 (IANS): Chinese ambassador to Nortn Korea Liu Hongcai and the country's vice sports minister, Son Kwang Ho, Monday signed a sports exchange protocol for 2015 at the People's Culture Palace here.

In their meeting before signing the agreement, Liu spoke highly of the important role of sports exchanges in consolidating and developing traditional China-North Korea friendly relationship and extended congratulations on extraordinary achievement made by the Korean athletes in international competitions in 2014, reports Xinhua.

Liu also voiced hope that sports departments of both China and DPRK can strengthen exchange and cooperation in the upcoming new year and elevate the level of competitive sports and mass sports campaigns in both countries, so as to make new contributions to cementing and advancing traditional China-North Korea friendship.

Son on his part said that enhancing sports exchange and cooperation with China is a major task of the North Korea's sports departments.

Collaboration between sports departments of the two countries and support for each other will push North Korea-China relations to keep moving forward, he said.

The agreement included 18 sports exchange programmes covering football, shooting, judo and involved 585 people including coaches, athletes and physical educators from both countries.

In addition, both sides reached consensus on 19 training and exchange programs aimed at encouraging and promoting cooperation between China's three northeastern provinces and the North Korea's sports associations.