Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held talks in Pyongyang on March 26 and signed a friendship treaty aimed at deepening ties between the two countries. 

Lukashenko was welcomed to the North Korean capital in a lavish ceremony featuring a white-horse cavalry, flag-waving children, and a 21-gun salute. As Lukashenko’s official two-day visit concluded, the two leaders signed the treaty and exchanged gifts: Lukashenko gave Kim an automatic rifle “just in case enemies appear,” and Kim returned the favor by presenting the Belarusian president with a traditional sword and a decorative urn bearing Lukashenko’s likeness. 

Belarusian foreign minister Maxim Ryzhenkov conceded that current trade between the two countries was “modest,” but insisted that the meeting could boost future trade, especially in the food and pharmaceutical sectors, according to Reuters. 

Beyond trade, the two countries are both allied with Russian president Vladimir Putin, and back Russia’s war in Ukraine. Kim has reportedly provided ammunition to Moscow, and the BBC reported that over 10,000 North Korean soldiers were deployed to aid Russian troops fighting in Russia’s western Kursk region. For his part, Lukashenko allowed Belarus to be used as a launchpad for the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and he has since allowed the deployment of Russian nuclear missiles on its territory. 

Along similar lines, North Korea and Belarus share the experience of withstanding international sanctions from the West. North Korea is heavily sanctioned by many countries and bodies, including the European Union and the U.N. Security Council. Many of these sanctions were placed after North Korea’s first nuclear test in 2006, and they heavily restrict North Korea’s international participation in the military, energy, finance, and transport sectors. 

Belarus has also faced widespread sanctions, partly due to its involvement in the war in Ukraine and partly due to its own human rights abuses. Many of these abuses took place around the disputed 2020 election, which resulted in Lukashenko taking power for a sixth term. The fraudulent election resulted in mass protests which were met by a large-scale crackdown by the government. Tens of thousands were arbitrarily arrested, with detainees reporting torture, abuse, and even death in custody (Human Rights Watch). Authorities also targeted journalists, activists, and opposition leaders, jailing many or forcing them into exile. 

As two countries isolated from the West and allied with Russia, it makes a certain amount of sense that North Korea and Belarus would form a partnership. It remains to be seen whether trade will increase between the two countries, but North Korean and Belarusian officials signed a number of agreements on cooperation in specific areas like education, healthcare, and agriculture (NBC). 

“In today’s reality of a global transformation, when the global powers openly ignore and violate international law, independent countries need to cooperate more closely, consolidate efforts aimed at protecting their sovereignty and improving the well-being of our citizens,” Lukashenko said. 

It is unclear how much room Lukashenko has to talk about violating international law, but regardless, North Korea and Belarus both wield regional power, and their continued cooperation may pose a great threat to regional security, especially if they choose to continue aiding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

The relationship between both countries and the U.S. is also something to keep an eye on, especially in Belarus’ case. The meeting between Lukashenko and Kim came six days after Lukashenko met with John Coale, U.S. Special Envoy to Belarus, and announced the freeing of 250 political prisoners. Over the past several months, the U.S. has gradually been easing sanctions on Belarus in return for the release of these detainees.