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Britain-North Korea establish diplomatic relations

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December 13, 2000 

LONDON-- (UNB/AP) - Britain and North Korea agreed Tuesday to establish diplomatic relations - recognition, Britain said, of Pyongyang's growing rapprochement with South Korea and its decision to suspend missile launches.

The decision marks the first time Britain has had diplomatic ties with the communist Democratic People's Republic of Korea since its creation 50 years ago.

In a sign of its warming relations with the outside world, North Korea has this year already established diplomatic links with Canada, Italy and Austria.

Britain announced in October that it was ready to follow suit, and Tuesday's announcement came after five days of talks in London between government officials.

British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook said the decision "was taken in recognition of the significant progress" in the dialogue between the two Koreas, particularly the landmark June summit between their leaders, Kim Jong Il and Kim Dae-jung.

Cook also welcomed the ongoing dialogue between the United States and North Korea "and the DPRK's confirmation of its moratorium on missile launches."

"We believe that dialogue and negotiation are the best ways of securing peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula," Cook said. "We will use this new relationship with the DPRK to raise issues of interest and concern."

In a joint statement, the two governments said they would appoint ambassadors "as soon as each side has made the necessary arrangements to open a resident mission" in London and Pyongyang.

Until ambassadors are in place, Britain and North Korea will appoint non-resident charge d'affaires, to be stationed in the South Korean capital Seoul and in Geneva or Stockholm, the two governments said.

The London talks, which continued longer than anticipated, covered a wide range of issues, including nuclear non-proliferation and human rights.

At the June summit, the two Korean leaders reached a broad agreement to put decades of animosity behind them and work together for reconciliation and eventual reunification.

The Koreas have since stopped propaganda broadcasts, exchanged high-level envoys and started reconnecting a cross-border railway.

South Korea welcomed Tuesday's decision between North Korea and Britain. The Foreign Ministry said it "will not only improve relations between the two countries, but also play a positive role in building peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula through inter-Korean reconciliation and cooperation."