Brussels, 09/04/2013 (Agence Europe) - The seven member state embassies that are in North Korea - including the Swedish embassy that houses the head of the EU mission - “are not considering an evacuation at the current time”, a high level EU diplomat stated on Tuesday 9 April, while adding that the embassies should have emergency plans. The embassies are due to respond to the North Korean foreign affairs ministry on Wednesday 10 April about whether they intend to stay (see EUROPE 10822).
According to one diplomat, while “the situation is tense and potentially volatile, we do not believe that they (the North Koreans) are on the brink of armed conflict”. He said that, according to current information, “we have not seen any apparent preparation for attack in the North and Pyongyang seems calm”. However, “there is a high degree of unpredictability”, he said.
He stated that the EU is acting in close collaboration with its strategic partners. High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton spoke to the minister for foreign affairs in South Korea, Yun Byung-se, on 8 April.
EU could still strengthen its sanctions. As well as transposing the sanctions of the United Nations Security Council resolutions, the EU could, the diplomat stated, toughen its sanctions, and he indicated that “further action is being examined”. These measures aim to hinder access to nuclear technology and missiles but he has not excluded the possibility of envisaging measures against North Korea's bank of foreign trade, if it is necessary to increase pressure more sharply.
“There is no multilateral mechanism to tackle the issue of threats and security risks in the region”, he also regretted (our translation throughout). (CG/transl.fl)