Belarus and North Korea Flex Diplomatic Muscles Amid Sanctions Scuffle

Deputy Foreign Minister of Belarus, Yevgeny Shestakov, alongside his North Korean counterpart, Lim Chun Il, engaged in discussions last Thursday. According to reports from the North Korean state media, KCNA, on Friday, their conversation spanned potential areas of bilateral collaboration across various sectors, including the economy and culture, and mutual support on international platforms.

This series of diplomatic engagements comes as Pyongyang reinitiates international visits following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions. In another report by KCNA, Kim Son Gyong, North Korea's Deputy Minister for International Organizations, rebuked comments made by Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the United States Ambassador to the UN. During her recent visit to South Korea and Japan, Thomas-Greenfield had labeled UN sanctions on North Korea as "unlawful", a stance reported by usnews.com.

In a significant shift, Russia has announced it will not extend the mandate for the international panel of experts. For the past 15 years, this panel has scrutinized the enforcement of UN sanctions aimed at curbing North Korea's nuclear and missile ambitions.