North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has welcomed Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s first official visit to North Korea
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SEOUL — North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has welcomed Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Pyongyang, as the Belarusian leader made his first official visit to the North, according to the North's state media Thursday.
A ceremony to welcome Lukashenko took place at Kim Il Sung Square on Wednesday as he arrived in Pyongyang by his private plane for a two-day visit at the invitation of the North's leader, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Both North Korea and Belarus have supported Russia in its invasion against Ukraine, with Pyongyang sending troops and weapons and Minsk allowing Moscow to use its territory for the invasion.
During this week's talks, Kim and Lukashenko are expected to discuss ways to cooperate in various fields.
When a limousine carrying Lukashenko arrived at the square, Kim "gladly met" with the Belarusian president and "warmly welcomed" his visit to North Korea, according to the KCNA.
At the ceremony, the national anthems of North Korea and Belarus were played, and a 21-gun salute was fired. Guided by Kim, Lukashenko reviewed an honor guard.
Accompanied by Kim, Lukashenko laid a wreath at the Liberation Tower in Pyongyang that honors former Soviet Union soldiers who the North claimed were killed while helping liberate Korea from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule. The two leaders observed a moment of silence to honor the fallen soldiers.
The Belarusian leader also paid tribute at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, a mausoleum where late state founder Kim Il-sung and former leader Kim Jong-il lie in state. He laid a bouquet sent by Russian President Vladimir Putin, the KCNA reported.
According to North Korean and Belarusian media, First Vice Premier Kim Tok-hun and Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jong-gyu received Lukashenko and his entourage at Sunan International Airport in Pyongyang.
For the trip, Lukashenko was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Shuleiko and ministers of foreign affairs, public health, education and industry.
Kim and Lukashenko last met in September 2025 in Beijing on the occasion of China's military parade. The North's leader reportedly invited Lukashenko to visit North Korea at that time, Yonhap news agency reported.
Belarus is among the few countries with which North Korea has sought economic cooperation under UN sanctions over its nuclear and missile programs.
North Korea and Belarus formally established diplomatic relations in 1992 and have operated a joint trade and economic cooperation committee since 1995.
The once-dormant committee was reactivated in May last year, and the North's Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui visited Belarus in October to attend a regional security meeting.
North Korea maintains an embassy in Belarus, but Belarus does not operate one in North Korea.