Belarusian president says 'ready' to visit Pyongyang in message to N. Korea's Kim

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko / Reuters-Yonhap

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Tuesday sent a congratulatory message to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on the country's founding anniversary, saying he is "ready" to visit Pyongyang.

According to Lukashenko's office, the president said he is prepared to visit North Korea at the earliest convenient time to strengthen bilateral ties.

The message came after Kim extended an invitation to Lukashenko to visit North Korea last week, during their brief conversation in Beijing ahead of China's military parade.

On Tuesday, North Korea marked the 77th anniversary of the country's founding on Sept. 9, 1948, by the current leader's grandfather, Kim Il-sung, in the communist northern part of the Korean Peninsula.

The Belarusian president also expressed hopes that increased cooperation between North Korea and Belarus could benefit both peoples and raise mutual trust and understanding.