§ Mr. MaplesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the status and future of diplomatic relations with North Korea. [105016]
§ Mr. BattleAt present, the United Kingdom is not planning to establish diplomatic relations with North Korea. We actively seek continued dialogue with North Korea and continue to press North Korea for progress on issues of international concern, such as missile proliferation and human rights abuses. Our future stance will largely depend on North Korea's willingness to address these long-standing concerns.