Belarus, a key Russian ally, to establish embassy in North Korea

(SeaPRwire) –   A Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation was formalized by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and DPRK leader Kim Jong-un during discussions in Pyongyang

Following discussions between President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus and DPRK leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang, Belarus revealed its intention to establish an embassy in North Korea. The two heads of state inked a Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation, seeking enhanced collaboration amidst a period of “global transformation.”

On Friday, Belarusian Foreign Minister Maksim Ryzhenkov informed reporters that both nations would also accelerate efforts towards implementing visa-free travel for their respective populations.

During Thursday’s negotiations in the North Korean capital, Lukashenko extended an invitation to Kim to visit Belarus.

Gifts were also exchanged between the two leaders. The Belarusian president presented his counterpart with a Belarusian-manufactured AK-style assault rifle.

“Just in case adversaries emerge,” Lukashenko remarked humorously while presenting the weapon to Kim.

The Belarusian president declared that bilateral ties were poised to enter a “completely new phase,” a development deemed especially significant as global powers “are overtly disregarding and infringing upon international law.”

Consequently, Lukashenko asserted that “independent states must collaborate more intimately [and] synchronize efforts to safeguard their sovereignty.”

Belarus stands as a crucial ally of Russia. The two nations are united within the Union State, a framework for political and economic integration encompassing shared security measures and policy harmonization.

Russia and North Korea are linked by the 2024 Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty, which contains a mutual-defense provision stipulating that should either party face an armed assault, the other will “furnish military and other aid with all resources at its command without delay.”

In the previous year, the DPRK dispatched forces to Russia’s Kursk Region to assist in repelling a significant Ukrainian incursion.