North Korea has sent a new ambassador to Belarus, a key pro-Russian state.
The Workers’ Party newspaper Rodong Sinmun reported on April 12 that Ji Kyung-soo, North Korea’s ambassador to Belarus, presented his credentials to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on April 10.
The newspaper stated that Ambassador Ji respectfully conveyed a warm greeting from Party General Secretary Kim Jong Un to President Lukashenko, who expressed his deep appreciation in return.
President Lukashenko reportedly evaluated that a fundamentally new chapter has unfolded in Belarus-North Korea relations following the summit in Pyongyang late last month. He also expressed his position to develop mutually beneficial cooperation for the interests of both nations’ peoples, according to the newspaper.
During his visit to North Korea on March 25 and 26, President Lukashenko held a summit with General Secretary Kim and signed a friendship cooperation treaty. This agreement, which covers comprehensive political and economic collaboration, has elevated the bilateral relationship to a new stage.
Recently, both countries have been strengthening their ties, forming an anti-Western alliance centered around Russia. As close allies of Russia, both nations are subject to Western sanctions. During their recent talks, they reaffirmed their stance to jointly counter what they term illegal pressure from the West.
Earlier, Belarus’s state news agency BelTA reported on April 8 that Prime Minister Alexander Turchin had signed a cabinet resolution to establish a Belarusian embassy in Pyongyang. This move is also seen as a follow-up measure to the recent summit between the two countries.