Belarus and North Korea are set to sign a visa waiver agreement applicable to both countries' citizens soon.
On the 23rd (local time), Belarusian state media BelTA, citing state television, reported that Belarus Foreign Minister Maksim Ryzhenkov discussed overall bilateral relations, including a visa waiver agreement, during talks with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui.
Minister Ryzhenkov said, "A draft of the agreement has already been prepared," adding, "Only some fine-tuning of details remains."
This appears to be a follow-up to Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko's visit to Pyongyang in Mar., when he concluded a "treaty on friendship and cooperation" with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Earlier, in Apr., Belarusian Prime Minister Aleksandr Turchin signed a Cabinet resolution on opening an embassy in North Korea.
North Korea, using the dispatch of troops to the Ukraine war as an opportunity, is drawing closer to Russia as "blood allies." In this context, it is also strengthening ties with Belarus, a pro-Russian country, to build a trilateral coordination framework.