North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko met in Pyongyang this week, in a summit Seoul assesses as part of efforts to strengthen alignment among North Korea, Russia and Belarus, while advancing Pyongyang’s vision of a "multipolar world."
The two also signed a treaty on friendship and cooperation during their summit, a move both sides described as laying the groundwork for closer bilateral ties, according to Belarusian state news agency Belta on Thursday.
Lukashenko described the document as "fundamental" in defining the goals and principles of cooperation, while Kim said it would serve as a legal foundation to ensure the stable development of relations. Belarus Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov was quoted as saying that the agreement would facilitate expanded cooperation across multiple sectors through government ministries and agencies.
According to the North's state media Korean Central News Agency on Thursday morning, Lukashenko had arrived in Pyongyang on Wednesday for a two-day official visit at Kim’s invitation — his first trip to North Korea — with a welcoming ceremony held at Kim Il-sung Square.
A Unification Ministry official, requesting anonymity, said the meeting appeared aimed at reinforcing trilateral coordination among the three countries, adding that it is in line with North Korea’s call for building a multipolar world, as emphasized at its Feb.19-25 Ninth Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea.
KCNA said Pyongyang residents and schoolchildren gathered at Kim Il-sung Square, where they waved the national flags of the two countries and welcomed the Belarusian leader with flowers.
"When a limousine carrying the Belarusian president arrived at Kim Il-sung Square amid the playing of welcome music," Kim gladly met with Lukashenko and "warmly welcomed his visit" to North Korea, state media reported.
Kim introduced senior Workers’ Party and government officials to Lukashenko and exchanged greetings with members of the Belarusian delegation, including Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Shuleiko and ministers overseeing foreign affairs, public health, education and industry.
The two leaders then took the platform together as the national anthems of Belarus and North Korea were played and a 21-gun salute was fired.
Lukashenko received a salute from the Korean People’s Army honor guard and, guided by Kim, reviewed the troops, followed by a march-past, KCNA said. Lukashenko also expressed "heartfelt thanks to the DPRK government and people for their sincere hospitality," according to the report, referring to North Korea's official name.
The visit comes as North Korea and Belarus have both deepened alignment with Russia over its war in Ukraine, underscoring a growing convergence among the three countries. Pyongyang has supplied troops and weapons to support Moscow’s war effort, while Minsk has provided logistical backing by allowing Russian forces to use its territory as a staging ground for the invasion.
The strengthening of ties has also been reflected in diplomatic exchanges. North Korea’s Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui attended the Eurasian International Security Conference in Minsk in October last year, where she said the South Korea-US-Japan trilateral military alliance was "seriously threatening" the regional security environment, adding that Pyongyang is prepared to "build an equal multipolar world," KCNA said at the time.
Belta on Wednesday reported that the two-day visit is intended to "identify key areas of mutual interest and the most promising projects for implementation." Lukashenko was quoted as saying that "the time has come to step up relations," adding that "the current situation is simply pushing us into each other’s arms."
The Belarusian president said the two sides plan to sign a "treaty of friendship" along with "about 10 agreements" during the visit.
As part of his itinerary, Lukashenko laid a wreath at Pyongyang’s Liberation Tower, which commemorates Soviet soldiers the North claims died while helping liberate Korea from Japanese colonial rule, and paid tribute at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, where the bodies of late leaders Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il lie in state. He also presented a bouquet sent by Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to the KCNA.
Kim and Lukashenko last met in September 2025 in Beijing during China’s military parade, where the North Korean leader reportedly extended an invitation for the visit.
Belarus remains one of the limited partners with which North Korea has pursued economic cooperation under international sanctions over its nuclear and missile programs. The two countries established diplomatic ties in 1992 and have operated a joint trade and economic cooperation committee since 1995, which was reactivated last year.
mkjung@heraldcorp.com
