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A North Korean delegation led by Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho meets with its Swedish counterparts headed by Foreign Minister Margot Wallström. (provided by Swedish Foreign Ministry)
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Senior Foreign Ministry figures are holding meetings with former South Korean and US officials in northern Europe
Choe Kang-il, deputy director general for the North Korean Foreign Ministry’s North American affairs bureau, departed Beijing on Mar. 18 to meet with former US and South Korean diplomatic officials in Finland. Coming on the heels of a Sweden visit by Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho, Choe’s trip is seen as part of an effort in northern Europe to lay the groundwork for an upcoming summit with the US. While in Finland, Choe will reportedly be attending a Track 1.5 dialogue with former US ambassador to South Korea Kathleen Stephens and various South Korean former diplomats and academics. Stephens served as ambassador in Seoul for over three years until Sept. 2011. While at Beijing Capital International airport, Choe was asked by reporters about the focus of the discussions. “I have nothing to say yet. I’ll tell you when I return,” he replied. Choe also did not share details about his activities in Beijing since his arrival there with Ri on Mar. 15. Meanwhile, the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs announced that three days of talks between Ri and Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström had concluded on Mar. 17. The ministry said the two had discussed “continued diplomatic efforts to reach a peaceful solution to the conflict” surrounding the Korean Peninsula, adding that the Swedish side had “underlined the need for North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons and missile programmes in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions.” The ministry further said that talks “concerned Sweden's consular responsibilities [in North Korea] as a protecting power for the United States, Canada and Australia,” hinting that the release of three US detainees in North Korea may have been discussed. Sweden explained that the talks had been extended by one day from their original two-day schedule and included discussions on North Korea’s humanitarian situation and sanctions. A source described the talks to Reuters as “constructive.” In a Mar. 18 report on Ri’s visit to Sweden, the Korean Central News Agency reported that “bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest were discussed.” South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-wha is scheduled to meet Wallström in Brussels while attending a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council on Mar. 19. Kang is scheduled to hear about the results of the North Korea-Sweden foreign minister talks. By Kim Oi-hyun, Beijing correspondent and Noh Ji-won, staff reporter Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]
