North Korean and Belarusian leaders sign friendship treaty in Pyongyang

• Kim Jong Un and Alexander Lukashenko signed a friendship treaty during a summit in Pyongyang, underscoring deepening ties between the two Russia-aligned states.
• The leaders exchanged gifts, with Mr Lukashenko presenting an assault rifle to Mr Kim, who in turn gifted a sword and a large shell vase.
• The two countries agreed to cooperate in various sectors, including diplomacy, agriculture, education, and public health.
• Mr Lukashenko's visit, the first by a Belarusian president to North Korea since the two countries established diplomatic relations, signals a shift towards a more coordinated front against Western sanctions.
• Their partnership is rooted in support for Russia's war in Ukraine and aims to resist pressure from the US-led West, aligning with an "anti-West alliance" and "multipolar world order".

IN FULL

North Korea’s Kim Jong Un gifted assault rifle by Belarusian president: ‘In case enemies appear’