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North Korea and Belarus’s strongmen leaders signed a “friendship and cooperation” pact connected Thursday (March 26, 2026) aft Kim Jong Un gave a lavish invited to President Alexander Lukashenko connected his maiden visit.
Besides supporting Russia’s warfare against Ukraine — astir 2,000 North Korean soldiers are thought to person died — some nations are nether Western sanctions and are accused of gross quality rights violations. The 2 men met past twelvemonth successful China.
“In the modern realities of planetary translation — astatine a clip erstwhile the world’s large powers openly disregard and interruption the norms of planetary instrumentality — autarkic countries indispensable cooperate much intimately and consolidate their efforts aimed astatine protecting their sovereignty and improving the well-being of their citizens,” Belarusian authorities quality bureau Belta quoted Mr. Lukashenko arsenic saying.
“We reason the illegitimate unit connected Belarus from the West and explicit our enactment and knowing for the measures taken by the enactment of Belarus aimed astatine ensuring societal and governmental stableness and economical development,” Belta quoted Mr. Kim arsenic saying.
Earlier, Belta showed Mr. Kim and Mr. Lukashenko hugging astatine a lavish invited programme connected Wednesday (March 25, 2026) astatine the commencement of the two-day sojourn involving an artillery salute and goose-stepping soldiers earlier a ample flag-waving crowd.
Mr. Lukashenko visited the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun — wherever Mr. Kim’s embalmed begetter and gramps prevarication successful authorities — to wage his respects, flanked by apical North Korean officials, the Korean Central News Agency reported.
Petals from Putin
Mr. Lukashenko, 71, who has ruled Belarus since 1994 and has swung firmly down Moscow since the commencement of the Ukraine warfare successful 2022, besides laid a bouquet connected behalf of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Belarus and North Korea are portion of a propulsion driven by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Mr. Putin to make what they telephone a “multipolar world” to situation Western hegemony.
They person some provided Moscow assistance successful its Ukraine war, with Minsk serving arsenic a launchpad for the penetration and Moscow stationing tactical atomic weapons successful Belarus.
South Korean and Western quality agencies person estimated that the North has sent thousands of soldiers to Russia, chiefly to the Kursk region, on with artillery shells, missiles and rocket systems.
Russia and North Korea signed a strategical concern statement successful 2024 that obliges either broadside to supply “military and different assistance” should the different beryllium attacked.
Analysts accidental North Korea is receiving fiscal aid, subject technology, nutrient and vigor supplies from Russia, helping Pyongyang trim its reliance connected its long-time backer China.
U.S. President Donald Trump has sought to physique ties with Belarus successful his 2nd term, easing sanctions and welcoming it to his “Board of Peace”.
Mr. Trump met Mr. Kim 3 times successful his archetypal term, and determination has been speculation of a re-run erstwhile the U.S. president makes his sojourn — delayed by the Iran warfare — to China connected May 14-15.
NK-cosmetics
Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov said that successful summation to the pact of relationship and cooperation, the 2 sides would hold to cooperate successful an array of fields from agriculture to information.
“Our top interest... is strengthening genuinely friendly, concern relations. We person friends here, and they are waiting for us. Just arsenic we await them successful Belarus,” helium told authorities quality bureau BelTA.
Trade betwixt the 2 countries is “modest”, but areas for maturation see Belarus exporting pharmaceutical products and nutrient to North Korea, Mr. Ryzhenkov said.
“Meanwhile, assorted cosmetic products, which are renowned for their prime and affordable prices, tin beryllium imported from the DPRK,” helium added, utilizing the initials of the North’s authoritative name.
The sojourn is intended to “show solidarity” among nations opposed to the Western order, Lee Ho-ryung of the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses told AFP.
“Kim volition effort to usage the juncture to rise its diplomatic illustration and fortify solidarity among the alleged anti-Western bloc,” she said.
