Belarus opened an embassy in North Korea this month, NK News and other foreign media reported on the 17th, citing an announcement by the Belarusian Foreign Ministry.
The ministry did not disclose the exact date the embassy opened, its location or the name of the ambassador to North Korea. It said it also opened an embassy in Myanmar this month. "The opening of these two new embassies is the result of Belarus's policy efforts to strengthen its diplomatic presence in countries of the far abroad," the ministry said, adding that the missions "will focus on further developing mutually beneficial relations with North Korea and Myanmar." North Korean state media have not yet reported the opening of the Belarusian embassy.
The opening came about three months later than originally planned. In April, Belarusian state news agency BelTA reported, citing a government gazette, that Prime Minister Alexander Turchin had signed a Council of Ministers resolution on opening a Belarusian embassy in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The timeline reported at the time called for the embassy to open by Aug. 1 of this year. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko visited Pyongyang in March and signed a treaty on friendship and cooperation with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Belarus had not previously maintained an embassy or stationed diplomats in North Korea. North Korea, by contrast, has operated a diplomatic mission in the Belarusian capital of Minsk since 2016. North Korea, which has drawn closer to Russia through steps including the deployment of troops in the war in Ukraine, is also strengthening ties with Belarus, a pro-Russian state.