North Korean senior diplomat here week before ASEAN meeting

July 26, 2017

A senior North Korean diplomat arrived Wednesday ahead of regional security talks next week, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday. "A delegation from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, led by Vice Foreign Minister Choe Hui Chol, visited Manila today,”  spokesman Robespierre Bolivar said. Bolivar said the North Korean official met with Philippine counterpart, Foreign Undersecretary for Policy Enrique Manalo, Wednesday morning. He will leave the same day, Bolivar added. “The purpose of the visit is to discuss preparations for Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho's participation at next week's meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum," Bolivar told reporters. At a summit hosted by the Philippines last April, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders expressed “grave concern” over North Korea’s nuclear tests, saying Pyongyang’s actions causes instability in the region and beyond. They also appealed to North Korea and all concerned parties to exercise self-restraint to ease tensions and to refrain from actions that may aggravate the situation. Before the ASEAN summit in April, North Korea’s Bangkok-based non-resident envoy to Manila met with Philippine officials to ask them “not to put North Korea under pressure” in ASEAN meetings, including the ASEAN Regional Forum or ARF. DMS