§ Mr. Ben ChapmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the prospects for bilateral links between the UK and North Korea. [149908]
§ Mr. BattleFollowing the establishment of diplomatic relations between the UK and the DPRK on 12 December 2000, both sides have agreed to set up a resident Embassy in each other's capital, and have appointed Charges d'Affaires who will be responsible for developing relations until Ambassadors are appointed later this year.
Initially we propose to increase our contacts with the DPRK through English language teaching, and training. Sir John Kerr, Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, will also visit the DPRK in March for talks on political, economic, foreign trade and cultural issues.
I have recently met a senior delegation from the Korean Workers' Party, the ruling party in the DPRK, and met DPRK participants at a recent conference on North East Asia at Wilton Park. They later called on my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 20 February.
During this meeting the Secretary of State raised a number of issues including human rights and non-proliferation.