DUTCH VIEWS ON U.S.-EU DPRK HUMANITARIAN AID

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 002871

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/UBI/HOLLIDAY AND EUR/ERA/VOLKER
USEU FOR PATRICIA LERNER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/05/2014
TAGS: EAID PREL KN NL WFP
SUBJECT: DUTCH VIEWS ON U.S.-EU DPRK HUMANITARIAN AID
DISCUSSIONS

REF: 229053

Classified By: Ambassador Clifford M. Sobel for reasons 1.4 B, D.


1. (C) Emboffs met with Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Director for Humanitarian Affairs Joost Andriesson and DPRK
desk officer Robert Dressen. They thanked emboffs for sharing
reftel talking points and welcomed the possibility of further
discussions on humanitarian assistance to North Korea. A
director-level EU troika will visit Pyongyang November 13-16,

2004. In addition to nuclear issues, human rights, economic
reforms and inter-Korean relations, at Dutch request they
will also raise humanitarian assistance monitoring. The
troika will emphasize the importance of UN consolidated
appeals, coordinated humanitarian aid, better monitoring and
free access and movement by NGOs.


2. (C) The Dutch told us they routinely request greater
humanitarian aid monitoring and access of DPRK embassy
officials who call at the ministry. The GONL contributes 25
million Euros annually to the World Food Program (WFP),some
of which goes to the DPRK for humanitarian relief operations.
Andriesson told us he consistently dangles additional,
bi-lateral humanitarian relief funds before his DPRK
interlocutors but explains North Korea is not eligible for
this money because of their governance, monitoring and access
shortcomings. Just like with U.S. officials, DPRK officers
typically respond with gratitude, yet cordially stress their
desire for bi-lateral development assistance over
multi-lateral humanitarian aid.


3. (C) Andriesson shared some of his insights on the North
Koreans. He told us that EU heads of missions in the DPRK
believe the North Koreans do not distinguish between
international aid distribution staff and monitors: all
expatriates involved in the distribution of humanitarian
assistance in the DPRK are considered to be monitoring.
Furthermore, he thinks the Flood Damage Rehabilitation
Committee staff are, on the whole, sympathetic to calls for
greater monitoring and access, but that they are constrained
by political decision makers in Pyongyang.
SOBEL