NETHERLANDS/EU/KOREA: DUTCH ON EU SUMMIT WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 002677 SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR AND EAP E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/15/2014 TAGS: PREL NL KS KN EUN SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS/EU/KOREA: DUTCH ON EU SUMMIT WITH SOUTH KOREA Classified By: POL Counselor Andrew Schofer 1.4 (b/d) ¶1. (SBU) Both MFA Korea Desk officer and South Korea Embassy officer told poloffs that the EU-South Korea Summit held in Hanoi on October 9 was so brief -- lasting only two hours including interpretation -- that participants did not have enough time to cover all of the issues included in the lengthy Joint Press Statement, which was negotiated before the Summit. The Joint Press Statement, which is available at www.eu2004.nl/20041012-104311-M, includes the following topics: (a) deepening relations between EU and Republic of Korea, (b) Recent developments in the Republic of Korea and Recent developments in the EU, (c) North Korean nuclear issues and ROK- and EU-North Korea relationships, (d) EU-ROK discussion on global issues including counterterrorism cooperation, Iraq, Afghanistan, development goals, climate change, science and technology cooperation, business and investment, and trade. ¶2. (C) MFA Korea Desk officer Robert Dresen noted October 14 that the Asians had cautioned the Europeans not to press North Korea for dramatic changes or reforms, preferring slower but surer reforms. Both Dresen and South Korea Embassy official Yoon Lee told poloffs that very little else was actually discussed at the meeting due to time constraints. Lee was uncertain as to whether the next Summit (in two years' time) would be held over a longer period of time in order to ensure more time for discussion. At a reception on the evening of October 14, Robert Milders, Director of the MFA's Department of Asian affairs, similarly described the summit as non-controversial but not particularly useful or interesting from the perspective of the Dutch EU Presidency. SOBEL