Seoul: North Korea's state media reported that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has sent a congratulatory message to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on the occasion of the country's founding anniversary. However, they did not mention Lukashenko's expressed desire to visit Pyongyang.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Lukashenko's office revealed that the president expressed his readiness to visit North Korea at the earliest convenient time in order to strengthen bilateral ties. This message was sent in celebration of the 77th anniversary of North Korea's national founding on September 9, 1948.
Despite this, North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency and the Rodong Sinmun, the main newspaper in the country, omitted any reference to Lukashenko's interest in visiting Pyongyang in their reports.
Kim Jong-un and Alexander Lukashenko were seen having a brief conversation during China's military parade on September 3. Belarus remains one of the few countries with which North Korea has pursued economic cooperation, despite the international sanctions imposed on the nation. Belarus has shown support for Russia's war against Ukraine, while North Korea has provided weapons, military equipment, and troops to assist Moscow.