Alexander Lukashenko gushes over the North Korean ruler, as they fume at the West.
Belarus’ authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko and North Korea’s dictator Kim Jong Un strengthened their countries’ relations by signing a friendship treaty on Thursday.
Lukashenko praised the supreme leader during a state visit to Pyongyang. “I can tell you as a friend … your country has a great future with such a hardworking, disciplined people,” he said in a public statement published on the Belarusian president’s website.
“And the second thing I saw: You are capable of doing everything, and you do it better than anyone else,” Lukashenko continued.
Kim responded by saying that both leaders share similar positions on international issues and slammed Western countries for their interventionist mentality. “We oppose unlawful pressure on Belarus from the West and express support and understanding for measures taken by the Belarusian leadership to ensure socio-political stability and economic development,” he said.
Lukashenko and Kim are two of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent allies, and both have offered logistical or military support for the Kremlin’s all-out war in Ukraine.
Lukashenko described the Belarusian and North Korean populations as having “common values,” including patriotism, the preservation of historical memory and respect for older generations. He added that their “economies complement each other, we need each other.”
The Belarusian president also said other countries will be displeased with the North Korean-Belarusian ties, because they were “competitors.”
According to Human Rights Watch, North Korea remains one of the most repressive countries worldwide, while Belarus has a history of jailing opposition figures.