Belarus’s Lukashenko makes first visit to North Korea in bid to deepen ties
Al Jazeera
Belarus and North Korea are expected to sign a treaty of friendship as their leaders meet in Pyongyang.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has begun his first official visit to North Korea, in a bid to strengthen ties between the two countries united by their support for Russia’s war in Ukraine and accusations of authoritarianism and rights violations.
Belarusian state news agency Belta said the two-day visit that kicked off on Wednesday aimed to “identify key areas of mutual interest and the most promising projects for implementation”.
Lukashenko was quoted by Belta as saying “the time has come to step up relations”. “The current situation is simply pushing us into each other’s arms,” he added.
The Belarusian president said they planned to sign a “treaty of friendship” and “about 10 agreements” during the visit.
Kim Jong Un and Lukashenko met in September in Beijing when they attended a military parade at Tiananmen Square, where the North Korean leader reportedly extended an invitation.
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