March 26, Pozirk. Friendly relations between Belarus and North Korea are entering “a fundamentally new phase,” albeit “with some delay,” Alaksandar Łukašenka has said after meeting Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang, Pul Pervogo, the Belarusian ruler’s unofficial Telegram channel reports.
Bilateral ties date back to the Soviet period and have years of steady development, he said, noting that both countries’ economies are “complementary” and they “need each other.”
“Having seen much of the world, I can say with confidence that a great future awaits your country, thanks to its hardworking and disciplined people,” Pul Pervogo quoted the politician as saying. “What also struck me is your ability to do everything and to do it better than anyone else.”
Despite the “geographical distance,” Belarusians and Koreans have shared values, including patriotism, the preservation of historical memory and respect for older generations, Łukašenka noted.
Yesterday, the Belarusian politician arrived in North Korea on a two-day visit. Following the talks, Łukašenka and Kim Jong-un signed a treaty on friendship and cooperation between Belarus and North Korea.
The document reportedly sets out the goals and establishes the institutional framework for cooperation.
North Korea is a totalitarian state under a strict cult of personality and also under UN Security Council sanctions over its nuclear program. Since its foundation in 1948, the power has been handed over from father to son – from Kim Il Sung to Kim Jong Il to Kim Jong Un.
Minsk has sought top-level contacts with North Korea for the last two years. Earlier this year, Łukašenka congratulated Kim Jong Un on his re-election as leader of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK).
Last September, the Belarusian ruler met Kim in Beijing, where both attended a military parade, during which the North Korean leader extended the invitation for the visit.
Belarusian Foreign Minister Maksim Ryžankoŭ visited North Korea in July 2024 after a Belarusian government delegation participated in the third meeting of the bilateral intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation in North Korea.
Last year, Kim congratulated Łukašenka on extending his 30-year-long rule in Belarus.
