North Korea – Belarus: Kim Jong-un and Lukashenko sign a friendship treaty

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko signed a friendship treaty at a summit in Pyongyang, according to the official North Korean news agency KCNA.

This agreement aims to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in several areas, including diplomacy, agriculture, education and health.

This is the first state visit by a Belarusian president to North Korea since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations.

At an official banquet, Kim Jong-un hailed the meeting as "important" for deepening bilateral relations, while Alexander Lukashenko stated that ties between the two countries were developing "at a very rapid pace."

The two leaders also highlighted a convergence of views on major international issues.

This rapprochement comes in a particular geopolitical context, with both countries under international sanctions and allied with Russia in the war in Ukraine.

North Korea has been accused of sending thousands of soldiers to support Russian forces, according to several Western and Ukrainian sources.

This treaty thus marks a strengthening of alliances between states opposed to Western powers.

It could also have implications for the diplomatic and security balance in an already highly tense international context.