Belarus and North Korea have signed a new «friendship and cooperation» treaty in Pyongyang, marking closer ties between the two countries, Euronews reported.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko met North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during a two-day visit, where both sides described the agreement as a step toward strengthening bilateral relations. Lukashenko called the deal «fundamental» and said cooperation between the countries is entering a new phase.
During the visit, Lukashenko also attended a ceremony at a monument honoring Soviet soldiers, where he laid flowers on behalf of Vladimir Putin in gratitude for North Korea’s assistance in Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Both Belarus and North Korea are under Western sanctions and have faced longstanding criticism over human rights issues. North Korea is also a close ally of Russia, supplying it with weapons and troops in support of the war in Ukraine.
Earlier this month, the U.S. agreed to lift some sanctions on Belarus in exchange for the release of 250 political prisoners.
