North Korea has asked Britain, France and seven other European nations to establish diplomatic ties, promising to open up to the outside world, its state media said Thursday.
The North's foreign minister sent a letter "officially proposing the establishment of diplomatic relations" to the European countries and the European Union, said the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
The letter from Foreign Minister Paek Nam-Sun was sent to Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Spain, it said.
Diplomatic ties with the European nations "will give an affirmative effect on finally liquidating the leftover of the Cold War and ensuring peace and security in Northeast Asia and the rest of the world," it said.
North Korea "always pursues the policy of opening and developing friendly and cooperative relations" with all countries and international organizations on the principles of mutual respect for independence and non-interference in other's internal affairs, the KCNA said.
Italy this year became the first of the Group of Seven (G7) industrialized nations to forge diplomatic ties at ambassador level with North Korea.
The move surprised some of Italy's European partners, who had agreed not to individually seek ties with the regime in Pyongyang, which remains on a US list of terrorism sponsors.
Britain and other nations have had tentative contacts with the isolated Stalinist state with moves such as sending two English speakers to Pyongyang.
But the new British ambassador to Seoul, Charles Humfrey, indicated the general European standpoint when he said recently there was "no timeframe" for setting up relations. He said North Korea had to answer international concerns about its nuclear and missile programs.
Meanwhile, Australia has established diplomatic ties, Canada is discussing the move and a New Zealand foreign ministry delegation is in Pyongyang this week.
North Korea has gone through an economic collapse caused by the disintegration of the communist Soviet Union, economic mismanagement and a string of natural disasters.
After long threatening the world with its nuclear and missile programs, North Korea has begun developing links with South Korea and with the West.
South Korea has supported the North's diplomatic campaign. The two Koreas remain technically at war but their relations have improved rapidly since they agreed at a summit in June to move toward peace and reconciliation -- SEOUL (AFP)
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
