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Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a friendship treaty in Pyongyang, pledging closer cooperation and resistance to Western pressure. Both leaders, who are prominent supporters of Russia's war in Ukraine, exchanged symbolic gifts during the visit. Lukashenko presented Kim with an automatic rifle, jokingly suggesting its use "just in case the enemies appear," while Kim gave the Belarusian leader a sword and a vase with a portrait of the Belarusian president.
"I can tell you as a friend, as a person who has already seen everything in this world: a great future awaits your country with these hardworking, disciplined people," Lukashenko told Kim, according to Belarusian news agency Belta.
At a time when "the norms of international law are openly ignored and violated by powers that be", countries needed to co-operate in "protecting their sovereignty and improving the wellbeing of our citizens", he added.
Lukashenko described the friendship treaty as fundamental, while Kim said it would "further guarantee the stable development of bilateral relations", Belta reported.
The two leaders also agreed to co-operate in fields ranging from agriculture to information to public health, North Korean state news agency KCNA reported.
North Korea and Belarus are heavily sanctioned by the West for alleged human rights abuses and for supporting Russia's war in Ukraine. Pyongyang faces separate sanctions for its nuclear weapons programme.
Pyongyang has been supplying soldiers for Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. More than 10,000 North Koreans are estimated to have been deployed to fight alongside Russia.
In a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin this week, Kim said "Pyongyang will always be with Moscow", according to KCNA.
