VZCZCXYZ0003
PP RUEHWEB
DE RUEHLO #2680/01 3361548
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 021548Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY LONDON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4135
INFO RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL PRIORITY 0647
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 1313
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 1239
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 3536
RUEHUM/AMEMBASSY ULAANBAATAR PRIORITY 0044
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 3022
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN PRIORITY 2785
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG PRIORITY 0093
RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI PRIORITY 0072
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1517
C O N F I D E N T I A L LONDON 002680
SIPDIS
NOFORN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/02/2019
TAGS: PREL PINR PGOV ECON SOCI KN CH KS FR UK
SUBJECT: DPRK: AMB BOSWORTH'S DEC 2 MEETINGS WITH UK
FOREIGN OFFICE OFFICIALS
Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Greg Berry, reasons 1.4 (b/ d).
1. (C/NF) Summary. Foreign Office junior minister Ivan Lewis and Asia Pacific Director Scott Wightman told Special
Representative for North Korea Policy Ambassador Stephen Bosworth in separate December 2 meetings that the UK and EU
want to support the USG's efforts to see North Korea return to multilateral discussions. Wightman, who had just returned
from a week long trip to Seoul and Pyongyang, said the EU is internally trying to think of areas where it could increase
its dialogue with North Korea at the appropriate time. He noted that the EU Heads of Missions in Pyongyang assess that
it is not the right time yet and agreed that it was necessary to maintain sanctions and push for implementation of the
related UN Security Council Resolutions. Wightman outlined the UK's direct interests related to North Korea, including
economic interests, the UK's role on the UNSR, the nuclear nonproliferation agenda, and possible links to Burma, and
welcomed the opportunity to continue exchanging views and to support politically the USG's efforts. End summary.
2. (C/NF) Special Representative for North Korea Policy Ambassador Stephen Bosworth met separately with Foreign Office
junior minister Ivan Lewis and Asia Pacific Director Scott Wightman on December 2 in London.
Lewis: The EU Wants to Support the USG's Efforts --------------------------------------------- ---
3. (C/NF) After hearing Ambassador Bosworth's update on the current situation, Lewis said the EU wants to support the
USG's efforts as much as possible. He took on board that if North Korea returns to multilateral talks, the EU could
potentially play a helpful role by increasing its contact with the DPRK. Lewis suggested Ambassador Bosworth engage
Baroness Ashton, the EU's new High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, after Bosworth's visit to
Pyongyang and other capitals in the region.
Wightman: UK and EU Support at the Right Time ---------------------------------------------
4. (C/NF) Following his week long visit to Pyongyang and Seoul last week, Wightman said the UK wants to support the
USG's efforts and noted the UK's direct interests with North Korea, which include economic interests, the UK's role on
the UNSR, the nuclear nonproliferation agenda, and possible links to Burma. Wightman said the EU is internally assessing
what the EU could do to increase its dialogue with North Korea when the appropriate time comes, quickly noting that the
EU Heads of Missions in Pyongyang assess that at present it is not the right time and that it is important to maintain
sanctions and push for implementation of the various UN Security Council Resolutions. Wightman said the EU "wants to do
whatever it can to help without simply being presented with a check to sign." Agreeing that increased engagement should
come only after the DPRK's agreement to return to multilateral talks, Wightman said some potential areas of cooperation
include agriculture, forestry, low-carbon economic growth and development, and increased humanitarian assistance.
Wightman said the UK was working in the EU to make sure that the wrong messages were not being sent to the DPRK, which
he intimated French Special Envoy Jack Lang's appointment and visit may have done. He agreed that sanctions, of which
the DPRK is beginning to feel the crunch, should be maintained until demonstrative progress has been made through
multilateral discussions.
5. (C/NF) Wightman mentioned that he has a regular dialogue with the North Korean Ambassador in London. He also noted
that the North Korean Embassy's bank had closed its account and the Embassy had had trouble finding another bank to
accept its business, which he presumed was a commercial decision made due to the resources required to oversee the
account. He offered that UK Prime Minister Brown is happy to carry helpful messages to leaders in the region, noting
that Brown had discussed North Korea with his Japanese counterpart on several occasions. Visit London's Classified
Website: XXXXXXXXXXXX
Susman