Pyongyang, March 26 (KCNA) -- A ceremony took place at Kim Il Sung Square on March 25 to welcome Comrade Alexandr Lukashenko, president of the Republic of Belarus, who is paying an official visit to the DPRK at the invitation of Comrade Kim Jong Un, president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Seen standing at the square were the poles with national flags of the DPRK and the Belarusian Republic, the guard of honor and the honorary cavalry of the Korean People's Army, and the Central Military Band of the Ministry of National Defence.

Kim Jong Un appeared at the venue for the ceremony of welcoming the Belarusian president.

Attending the ceremony were Jo Yong Won, chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, Kim Jae Ryong, Ri Il Hwan and Kim Song Nam, secretaries of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, Choe Son Hui, foreign minister of the DPRK, and Kim Tok Hun, first vice-premier of the Cabinet.

Pyongyang citizens and schoolchildren were present there with the national flags of the two countries and flowers in their hands.

When a limousine carrying the Belarusian president arrived at Kim Il Sung Square amid the playing of welcome music, Kim Jong Un gladly met with Alexandr Lukashenko and warmly welcomed his visit to the DPRK.

He introduced major leading cadres of the Party and the government to Alexandr Lukashenko.

He exchanged greetings with Yuri Shuleiko, deputy prime minister of the government of the Republic of Belarus, Maxim Ruzenkov, minister of Foreign Affairs, Aleksandr Khodzhayev, minister of Public Health, Andrei Ivanets, minister of Education, and Andrei Kuznetsov, minister of Industry, and took the platform together with Alexandr Lukashenko.

The national anthems of the Republic of Belarus and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea were played while a 21-gun salute boomed.

Alexandr Lukashenko received a salute from the chief of the guard of honor of the KPA.

Guided by Kim Jong Un, Alexandr Lukashenko reviewed the guard of honor of the KPA.

There was a march-past of the guard of honor of the KPA.

Alexandr Lukashenko expressed his heartfelt thanks to the DPRK government and people for their sincere hospitality. -0-