Leaders of North Korea and Belarus signed an agreement on friendship and cooperation on Thursday, North Korean media report, citing LETA referring to AFP.
As previously reported, Belarusian government leader Alexander Lukashenko began his first official visit to North Korea on Wednesday. The Belarusian state agency "BelTA" notes that the aim of the two-day visit is to deepen ties and "identify key areas of mutual interest and the most promising projects for implementation."
North Korean media report that the country's leader Kim Jong Un warmly welcomed the Belarusian leader.
Both countries support Russia's war against Ukraine, are under Western sanctions, and are accused of serious human rights violations.
"The friendly relations between our countries, which began during the Soviet Union, have never been interrupted. Today, thanks to comprehensive and sustainable development, we are starting a completely new stage," BelTA quotes Lukashenko as saying.
"In the context of modern global changes — when world powers openly ignore and violate international law — independent states need to cooperate more closely and consolidate efforts to protect their sovereignty and enhance the well-being of their citizens," Lukashenko stated.
Lukashenko was greeted in Pyongyang with a ceremonial welcome at Kim Il Sung Square, where hundreds of people gathered. Later, he visited the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, where the remains of Kim's father and grandfather are kept. Lukashenko was accompanied by high-ranking representatives of North Korea, and at the mausoleum, he also laid flowers on behalf of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, North Korean media report.
