Brussels, 03/05/2001 (Agence Europe) - The European Troika, led by Swedish Prime Minister Goran Persson flew to Seoul Thursday afternoon, having spent hardly 28 hours in Pyongyang, where this visit, short but historic, ended in a success, according to the European Commission spokesperson. The President of the Union Council, who was accompanied by the High Representative for Cfsp, Javier Solana and Commissioner Chris Patten, indeed left the North Korean capital having secured from President Kim Jong-II the commitments he had been hoping for, concerning the resumption of the fragile dynamic of reconciliation with South Korea, the launch a of a structured dialogue on human rights, the maintenance of the freeze on nuclear tests. The question of the free movement of representatives of NGOs working on thee ground to provide humanitarian aid to the North Korean population , however, remains in suspense.
The day after the short visit to the "Dear Leader" followed by talks with the President of the Praesidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, Kim Young-Nam, Messrs. Persson, Solana and Patten joined President Kim and the deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Kang Sok-Ju in the morning for talks qualified a little later as fruitful and substantial by the head of the European mission. The meeting indeed enabled the Troika to accomplish most of the goals it had set itself before leaving. Mr. Persson said at the end of the meeting, that the North Korean leader clearly wanted to continue the rapprochement with South Korea, that he had undertaken to respect the commitments made at the historic meeting of Pyongyang in June, and that he had handed a message - whose content is for now confidential - for his counterpart in South Korea. A second North/South summit should take place in Seoul at a date that remains to be specified confirmed Brussels. They are proving to be prudent over today's timing and it is due to the reassessment (underway) of the American policy (which had brought the Bush Administration to provisionally suspend the dialogue with Pyongyang), added Mr Persson. We explained that a reassessment of the policy does not necessarily mean a reversal of policy, he indicated, when insisting once more on the fact that the dialogue between North Korea and the Union must not be considered as being able to replace the dialogue with the United States. The two are necessary, he said.
From these meetings, which lasted five hours in total on Wednesday and Thursday, the European Troika also gained a confirmation of the desire of President Kim Jong-Il to maintain the freeze on medium range missile tests. Kim Jong Il said that the moratorium tests would continue until 2003, indicated Mr Persson, adding that by then, the North Koreans would "wait and see". Mr Solana indicated that he did not recognise the reasons that had motivated the choice of this deadline. Another aim fulfilled by the Troika: the green light from President Kim to institute a structured dialogue on human right, a first for North Korea, which has not as yet accepted to discuss the issue with another country. We do not believe that this will be an easy process, but we think that it is importance to begin talks and this is what we agreed, indicated Mr Patten. He added that the Pyongyang authorities had accepted an invitation to go to Brussels to formally begin the dialogue, but had not answered the European request to authorise special United Nations rapporteurs to verify the situation on the ground. The question of NGO working conditions is for now also without response. The process, which began in November last with the visit by the troika of European political leaders "is still short" and "it is important for the link to have been established (at the highest level this week) between the enhanced assistance advocated by Pyongyang and the authorisation of free movement of NGOs" which provide this assistance in conditions that are so difficult some have already left the country, it is stated at the European Commission. The Swedish Prime Minister pointed out that the North-Korean leaders were "obviously concerned" about the economic situation and wished to receive assistance for its transition. "They are aware of the gravity of the situation but seem committed to pursuing the opening towards increased international cooperation", he said. His discussion partners did not refer to reforms but "to new management ideas". A European task force is expected to go there "very soon", it is said in Brussels. The normalisation of diplomatic relations between the Union and Pyongyang was obviously uppermost in everyone's minds. The troika will report to the informal meeting in Nyköping this weekend on the result of the mission. If the preconditions are effectively met and if no-one among the Fifteen expresses opposition, the decision could be taken from 5 May, given that all the stages required for resuming diplomatic relations will have been completed.