Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has begun his first official visit to North Korea, in an effort to strengthen ties between the two countries. The two countries are united by their support for Russia's war in Ukraine and accusations of authoritarianism and rights violations. The Belarusian state news agency Belta reported that the two leaders are set to sign a treaty of friendship and about 10 agreements during their two-day visit. North Korea has been under Western sanctions due to its nuclear weapons programme and missile activity, but also supported Russia’s war against Ukraine. Belarus has also moved deeper into Russia‘s orbit' after serving as a launchpad for the Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.