Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov will visit North Korea this week from July 23 to 25, AFP reported, citing a statement from Minsk, quoted by BTA.
The Belarusian Foreign Ministry reports that Rizhenkov will lead a delegation on an official visit at the invitation of Pyongyang.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who has been in power for 30 years, is Russia's closest ally, and in February 2022 he even gave his territory to the Russian army to invade neighboring Ukraine, AFP recalls. Minsk is subject to multiple Western sanctions for its aid to Russia and its relentless crackdown on the opposition. Belarus also agreed to allow Moscow to deploy tactical nuclear weapons on its territory.
Belarus also produces fertilizers, agricultural products and tractors and is looking for markets for their realization. Since the invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has drawn closer to North Korea, which is accused of supplying it with large quantities of ammunition for the war against Ukraine.
In addition, Belarus maintains excellent relations with China. In mid-July, the Chinese military held a series of joint military exercises with the Belarusian army in Brest, in the southwestern part of the country, on the border with Poland and therefore with NATO. In early July, Minsk also became the tenth member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), joining Russia, China and other countries whose relations with the West are strained.
In June, Russian President Vladimir Putin was received with great honors in Pyongyang and the two countries signed a mutual defense agreement in a clear warning to the West.