North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko signed a friendship and cooperation treaty following talks in Pyongyang, state media reported Friday.

SEOUL, March 27 (UPI) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko signed a friendship and cooperation treaty following talks in Pyongyang, state media reported Friday, marking a new stage in relations between the two Russia-aligned countries.

The agreement was reached during a summit on Thursday, where the two leaders discussed expanding cooperation and exchanged views on regional and international issues, the official Korean Central News Agency said.

Kim expressed support for Belarus' efforts to maintain "socio-political stability and economic development" and defend its sovereignty on the international stage, KCNA said, while Lukashenko described bilateral ties as entering a "new development stage."

The two sides also signed additional agreements covering cooperation in areas including diplomacy, information, agriculture, education and public health.

Lukashenko said the visit marked "a new chapter in cooperation" between the two countries, which he described as "very much alike," Belarusian state news agency Belta reported.

North Korea and Belarus established diplomatic ties in 1992, but engagement has remained relatively limited. The two sides have maintained a joint trade and economic cooperation committee since the mid-1990s, which was revived last year, while North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui visited Belarus in October for a regional security meeting.

"As it turned out, we will have to catch up on the time we lost," Lukashenko said. "And we will go through this upcoming period very quickly, thanks to the bonds of friendship that bind us."

The summit capped Lukashenko's two-day visit -- his first to North Korea -- as both countries deepen alignment with Moscow amid its war in Ukraine.

North Korea has provided Moscow with munitions and troops, while Belarus has allowed its territory to be used in the invasion and agreed to host Russian tactical nuclear weapons.

The trip featured a series of high-profile events, including a reception hosted by Kim, where both leaders emphasized their shared positions on international affairs and pledged to expand "comprehensive cooperation," KCNA reported.

A show was also held in Lukashenko's honor at Pyongyang's Ice Rink, attended by senior officials including Kim Yo Jong, the North Korean leader's sister. Performers staged patriotic songs and figure skating displays, while audiences waved the national flags of both countries.

South Korea's Unification Ministry said the summit and treaty highlight closer alignment among Pyongyang, Minsk and Moscow.

"The summit and treaty signing ... carry the meaning of reinforcing three-way coordination among North Korea, Russia and Belarus," ministry spokeswoman Jang Yun-jeong said, adding that the move aligns with Pyongyang's push for a "multipolar order" and anti-Western solidarity.

Lukashenko's visit also comes amid a tentative thaw in relations with the United States. The Belarusian strongman, who has been in power for more than three decades, met last week in Minsk with U.S. envoy John Coale and subsequently ordered the release of 250 political prisoners.

In return, Washington eased sanctions on Belarus' state investment bank and three potash-related companies.