Pyongyang: Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko has embarked on an official visit to North Korea to engage in discussions on cooperation across various sectors, a Belarusian news report indicated. The Belarusian leader's visit, scheduled from Wednesday to Thursday, comes at the invitation of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for bilateral negotiations, as reported by Belta, a Belarusian news agency.
According to Yonhap News Agency, arrangements have been made to explore the full spectrum of avenues for enhancing collaboration between the Republic of Belarus and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The report further detailed that Kim Jong-un hosted an official welcome ceremony for Lukashenko at Kim Il Sung Square, which included military parades and performances of both nations' national anthems.
Following the ceremony, the two leaders visited the Liberation Monument, where Lukashenko laid a wreath in memory of Soviet soldiers who died during the liberation of Korea from Japanese colonial rule in the Second World War. The discussions are expected to pinpoint key areas of mutual interest and identify the most promising projects for implementation, as per the report.
This visit follows their previous meeting in September last year in Beijing, where both leaders attended a military parade. It was during this event that Kim extended an invitation to the Belarusian leader to visit North Korea.
Upon his arrival in North Korea, Lukashenko paid tribute at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, a mausoleum housing the remains of the country's late leaders, as reported by Belta. An agreement on friendship and cooperation between the two nations is expected to be signed during Lukashenko's visit, according to the Belarusian foreign minister.
"There is a whole range of areas that are of interest to both the Belarusian and Korean sides," Belta quoted Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov. "On the basis of this treaty, we will develop interaction between ministries and agencies." He mentioned agriculture, education, and health care as sectors planned for inclusion in the cooperation framework.
North Korea and Belarus appear to be bolstering their relations and cooperation, underpinned by their mutual support for Russia in its conflict with Ukraine.