Politics
10:14, 18-Mar-2018
DPRK diplomat heads to Finland for talks with US and ROK
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A senior diplomat of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) handling affairs with the United States is headed to Finland on Sunday for semiofficial talks with the US and the Republic of Korea (ROK), Yonhap reported.
Choe Kang-il, deputy director-general for North American affairs at the Foreign Ministry, was seen at Beijing Capital International Airport before boarding a flight to Finland.
Citing diplomatic sources in Seoul, Yonhap said Choe will take part in the "1.5-track" meeting in Finland this week with former US diplomats, including former US Ambassador to ROK Kathleen Stephens, and security experts from Seoul.
A copy of the Asia Economy newspaper featuring images of US President Donald Trump and DPRK leader Kim Jong Un on the front page is displayed for sale at a newsstand in Seoul, ROK, March 9, 2018. /VCG Photo
A copy of the Asia Economy newspaper featuring images of US President Donald Trump and DPRK leader Kim Jong Un on the front page is displayed for sale at a newsstand in Seoul, ROK, March 9, 2018. /VCG Photo
"There's nothing to share right now. I'll speak when I return," Choe said when asked about the agenda of the meeting.
During the meeting, the parties are expected to exchange opinions on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and an inter-Korean summit slated for late April and a US-DPRK summit expected in May.
DPRK Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho leaves the Swedish government building Rosenbad in Stockholm, Sweden, March 16, 2018. /VCG Photo
DPRK Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho leaves the Swedish government building Rosenbad in Stockholm, Sweden, March 16, 2018. /VCG Photo
Choe just returned from Stockholm. He was accompanying DPRK's Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho for a three-day visit that started on Thursday.
The Scandinavian country has longstanding ties with the DPRK. Its diplomatic mission in Pyongyang was the first Western embassy established in the country in 1975.
Sweden's embassy represents US, Canadian and Australian diplomatic interests in Pyongyang, with the country playing a key role in liaising diplomatic talks.
After Ri and his Swedish counterpart Margot Wallstrom finished their talks, the Swedish Foreign Ministry said the two discussed opportunities and challenges for continued diplomatic efforts to reach a peaceful solution to the conflict as well as bilateral relations.
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