Solana: we are ready to give more to North Korea

By Andrew Beatty

Date: 28/07/05

THE EU high representative for foreign policy Javier Solana will tomorrow (29 July) meet North Korea's foreign minister Paek Nam Sun with the Union indicating it is ready to increase humanitarian aid to the impoverished country.

Speaking to journalists ahead of his visit, Solana said that providing further aid to the country would be discussed during the meeting, as the EU continues its policy of engagement with the secretive regime.

"We have been engaged and we will continue to be engaged," he said, giving no indication of the amount that may be available.

According to the United Nations' World Food Programme and other agencies, economic mismanagement and the political turbulence around the country have resulted in 57% of North Koreans not having enough food to stay healthy.

Last month the European Commission, which runs the EU's assistance programmes, announced it would provide €10.7 million to improve the healthcare system inside the country. Much of the money was directed towards maternity health.

A spokesperson for the Commission said that he was not aware of any specific decisions to increase aid further.

But in what some observers say is a significant indication of the EU's willingness to engage, Solana will also reiterate the EU's support for the ongoing six-party talks aimed at resolving the stand-off over North Korea's nuclear weapons programme.

"We hope it will be a very fruitful phase", said Solana before a meeting of Japan, the US, China, South Korea, Russia and North Korea on Tuesday (26 July), the first such meeting in 13 months.

"It is significant that the EU expresses an interest in that region," said Willem van der Geest, director of Brussels-based think-tank, the European institute of Asian studies. Since 2003, when talks began, the EU has not taken a firm position on its own role, he said.

Although the EU is not taking part in the talks, diplomats say the Union could have a role to play in plans to supply North Korea with the energy it needs, in return for assurances that it will end its nuclear programme.

Under a recent proposal from the South Korean authorities, the North would allow access for international nuclear inspectors and commit itself to a nuclear-free Korean peninsular, in return for the international community providing for its energy needs.

The EU is currently a major contributor to the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organisation (KEDO project), which was building a light water reactor for Pyongyang, but which is currently frozen.

One diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that with KEDO made redundant by a new agreement, the EU would naturally have to rethink its role.

The EU could also have a role in promoting economic development, according to van der Geest.

Solana's meeting will come on the second day of a trip to South East Asia timed to coincide with the ASEAN regional forum, where he will also discuss the democratic situation in Myanmar as well as the deployment of EU personnel to monitor the peace process in the Indonesian region of Aceh.

Solana welcomed the decision of the Burmese authorities to postpone their chairmanship of ASEAN, which was to start next year and which looked likely to result in an EU and US boycott of ministerial meetings with the group.

"It is an important decision and we are pleased that the decision has been taken," he said.

However diplomats indicated that recent moves to release a limited number of opposition figures and to give up the chair of ASEAN would not be enough for the EU to revoke its sanctions against the country.

Solana will also hold a series of bilateral meetings to discuss the involvement of ASEAN countries in the deployment of 200 EU personnel to monitor an expected peace agreement between the Indonesian government and separatists from the northern Sumatran province of Aceh.

Preview of a meeting between the EU's High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security policy, Javier Solana, and North Korea's foreign minister Paek Nam Sun, on 29 July 2005. Speaking to journalists ahead of his visit, Solana said that providing further aid to the country would be discussed during the meeting, as the EU continues its policy of engagement with the secretive regime.

European Commission: DG External Relations: Countries: North Korea http://ec.europa.eu/comm/external_relations/north_korea/intro/index.htm

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