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Seoul Welcomes Britain's Plan to Open Diplomatic Ties with DPRK
South Korean Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Lee Joung-binn said here Thursday that South Korea welcomes and supports Britain's willingness to normalize diplomatic relations with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
Britain's plan to open diplomatic ties with the DPRK will have "a positive impact" on the South and North of the Korean Peninsula, Lee told reporters, adding that Britain had consulted with South Korea before making such a decision.
A spokesman for British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook told Xinhua that Cook will announce imminently his country's decision to send a "positive signal" to the DPRK for establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Cook took the dramatic move on his plane bound for Seoul, he said, adding that "positive contact" will be made to this effect as a common approach of the European Union (EU).
Cook arrived here earlier Thursday to attend the two-day third Asia-Europe Meeting which opens Friday.
The spokesman said that Cook will later make a formal announcement regarding Britain's willingness to normalize diplomatic ties with the DPRK.
The British move was taken in response to a recent approach to the European Union from the DPRK with a view to establishing diplomatic ties.
Last month, DPRK Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun sent a letter to Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain and the European Union, proposing to establish diplomatic relations with the nine European countries.
So far this year, the DPRK has established diplomatic relations with Italy, Australia and the Philippines.
Vice Marshal Jo Myong Rok of the DPRK visited Washington last month as a special envoy of DPRK leader Kim Jong Il, who held a historic summit in June this year in Pyongyang, capital of the DPRK, with South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, changing the situation dramatically on the Korean Peninsula.
U.S. State Secretary Madeleine Albright Wednesday announced her plan to travel to the DPRK this weekend to make preparation for the proposed visit by U.S. President Bill Clinton to the DPRK.
Canada is reportedly in talks with the DPRK and a senior German Foreign Ministry official is also in Pyongyang for talks on issues of common interest.
The Korean issue will be one of the key topics at the Seoul ASEM meeting, and many ASEM countries have expressed their support to the improvement of inter-Korean relations.
A Declaration on Peace on the Korean Peninsula will be adopted at the end of the biennial meeting as one of the three key documents. The other two documents are the Chairman's Statement and the Asia-Europe Cooperation 2000.
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