Star Metro - Belarus' Lukashenko greeted by North Korean leader in Pyongyang

A ceremony welcoming Lukashenko took place on Kim Il Sung Square on March 25, with Kim "gladly" meeting and "warmly" welcoming the Belarus leader, the report said.

Lukashenko visited the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun -- where the embalmed bodies of Kim's father and grandfather lie in state -- to pay his respects, flanked by top North Korean officials, the report said.

Lukashenko laid a bouquet on behalf of Russian President Vladimir Putin, it added.

In another event, Lukashenko laid a wreath at the Liberation Tower and observed a moment of silence with Kim "in memory of the fallen fighters of the Soviet Army who dedicated their precious lives to the sacred war for Korea's liberation", KCNA said, referring to the end of Japanese colonial rule in 1945 at the close of World War II.

Photos released by KCNA showed the two leaders greeting each other, with Lukashenko placing a hand on Kim's back as they smiled, while North Koreans in the background waved the two countries' flags.

Another image showed Kim introducing his officials to Lukashenko.

Both nations have provided Moscow assistance in its war in Ukraine, with Pyongyang dispatching ground troops and weapons and Minsk serving as a launchpad for Russia's invasion in 2022.

South Korean and Western intelligence agencies have estimated that the North has sent thousands of soldiers to Russia, primarily to the Kursk region, along with artillery shells, missiles and rocket systems.

- Rights violations -

North Korea has been under a barrage of Western sanctions, mostly due to its nuclear weapons programme and missile activity, but also because of its support for Russia's war against Ukraine.

Analysts say North Korea has received financial aid, military technology, food and energy from Russia in return. President Vladimir Putin visited in 2024.

The support has helped Pyongyang reduce its reliance on its long-time backer, China.

International rights groups accuse the North of torture, public executions, forced labour and severe restrictions on freedom of expression and movement.

Lukashenko, for his part, has drawn Minsk deeper into Russia's orbit and cracked down on dissent during his three decades in power.

The West has imposed heavy sanctions on Belarus over its role in facilitating Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its crackdown on protests in 2020.

Belarus has released scores of prisoners in recent months, largely under US pressure, including 250 earlier this month.

But it still holds hundreds more, many detained after the 2020 election, widely dismissed by the opposition as rigged.

Bouchard--SMC