Brussels, 20/09/2002 (Agence Europe) - On 19 September, the Danish Presidency made the following declaration on behalf of the EU: "The European Union welcomes the historical talks on 17 September 2002 in Pyongyang between the Japanese Prime Minister, Junichiro Koizumi, and Chairman Kim Jong-il of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Steps towards reconciliation and normalisation between Japan and DPRK after World War II have been long awaited by the peoples of Japan and DPRK as well as by the international community. This Japanese initiative is a welcome contribution to building peace and stability in North East Asia. The European Union particularly welcomes the announcement that the DPRK intends to maintain the moratorium on missile launching in and after 2003 and to abstain from threatening the security of Japan. Equally important, the parties both confirmed their preparedness to comply with international law, including international agreements related to nuclear issues. The EU hopes that this commitment will pave the way for early access to inspections in the DPRK by the IAEA. The European Union further encourages the DPRK to assume a stable and responsible place in the world community" (The associated countries Iceland and Norway align themselves with this declaration).
The day before, the High Representative for CFSP, Javier Solana applauded the initiative of Prime Minister Koizumi of making this visit and "the increasing openness of the North Korean Government to such dialogue". North Korea knows that "the international community has concerns on proliferation, human rights and regional stability", he says, stressing the prospects for stability that the meeting between the Japanese Prime Minister and North Korean leader had opened, as well as "the recent agreements between the two Koreas on the re-establishment of dialogue and transport links".
You may recall that the EU had actively encouraged the resumption of the dialogue between the two Koreas, under the Swedish Presidency in the first half of 2001.