CZECHS: DPRK'S VISIT WAS AN INTERNAL PROBLEM, ON

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 PRAGUE 001664 SIPDIS NOFORN EUR/NCE FOR FICHTE E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/27/2015 TAGS: EZ KN KNNP MNUC PREL PGOV PHUM CH SUBJECT: CZECHS: DPRK'S VISIT WAS AN INTERNAL PROBLEM, ON TO CHINA'S VISIT REF: A. SECSTATE 208503 ¶B. PRAGUE 1515 Classified By: Poloff Brian Greaney for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) ¶1. (S) Summary: The Czech MFA understands U.S. dismay over the October 20 visit of a DPRK Parliamentary delegation to the Temelin Nuclear Power Plant, and will again oppose any similar requests for visits or for nuclear cooperation in the future. The Czechs will not directly focus on China's human rights during Premier Wen Jiabao's upcoming visit. The Czechs would welcome in-depth consultations with USG experts on North Korea, China and other Asian countries -- a suggestion post strongly supports. End summary. --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- NORTH KOREANS AT A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT: A BAD IDEA FROM THE COMMUNISTS --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ¶2. (S) Ambassador raised reftel A points regarding U.S. dismay over the DPRK parliamentary delegation's visit to the nuclear power plant at Temelin with Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek at a lunch meeting Nov 17. The Ambassador termed the DPRK visit to Temelin an unfortunate example of Communist influence on Czech foreign policy. This, along with growing Communist influence on economic legislation, was causing growing concern in Washington. Paroubek offered no direct response. ¶3. (S) Polecon Counselor Nov 23 delivered reftel A points to Jan Fury, Director of the MFA's Asia/Pacific Department. Reiterating the visit was at the invitation of Vojtech Filip, Vice Speaker of Parliament and Chairman of the Czech Communist Party, Fury confided the MFA had lobbied strongly against the trip. Fury shared the text of the Czech MFA's report on the visit with us (text included para 4). Turning to the economic aspects of the "Action Plan" the GOCR and DPRK government signed on 12 September (Ref B),Fury said the DPRK is now pushing for greater direct economic ties with the Czech Republic and is seeking export credits. However even the the Ministry of Industry and Trade, which is almost always interested in greater foreign economic cooperation, realized closer economic ties with the DPRK would not be worthwhile, due to the North Koreans' inability to pay. --- --- --- --- --- CHINA COMES CALLING --- --- --- --- --- ¶4. (C) Addressing the planned early December visit of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Fury said the agenda was still being worked out and the GOCR was searching for a range of deliverables (Fury expressed some frustration that the MFA was under much pressure from the Prime Minister - who visited China earlier this year - to come up with deliverables). The Chinese had suggested the Czechs ease visa restrictions on Chinese travelers, something the Czech side is not prepared to consider. There had also been discussion on the possibility of introducing direct flights between Beijing and Prague. Fury thought this would come to nothing, as Czech airlines does not currently have the capacity to add this route. Fury indicated the Chinese were hoping to finalize a bilateral economic agreement, but the deal as currently negotiated did not meet EU rules. Fury assured us the Czechs remain solidly in our camp on Taiwan policy. He believed China's human rights record would best be approached indirectly, rather than be a focus for discussion. Pol-Econ Couselor encouraged Fury to ensure that the Czechs' continued to speak out on China's human rights record. --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ACTION REQUEST: HELPING THE CZECHS ALIGN WITH U.S. POLICY --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ¶5. (S) Fury, expanding on a previous offer (REF B),said he would welcome closer cooperation with the U.S. on both the DPRK and a range of other EAP issues, mentioning China and Burma as specific priorities. He said he would be willing to visit Washington in early 2006 to coordinate with State Department officials on the appropriate policies for the range of challenges that face both the United States and the Czech Republic. Embassy Prague strongly supports this opportunity to ensure the Czechs align even more closely with our EAP goals, and requests an indication of interest from the Department. A meeting for Fury with the Department's EAP leadership may make the Czech Republic a better partner for the United States on Asia Policy, including in relation to the DPRK. End action request. ¶6. (S/NF) --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- Text of MFA Report on the DPRK visit to the Czech Republic (as prepared for distribution within COREU channels) --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- "DPRK Parliamentary delegation visit to the Czech Republic DPRK Parliamentary delegation headed by Kang Nung Su, Vice-President of the Supreme People,s Assembly of DPRK, visited the Czech Republic on the 17-22 October 2005 on the invitation of Deputy Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Parliament. The delegation met the Deputy Speaker, Vice-President of the Senate, and it was received by the Speaker of Parliament. MP and Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Commerce Mr. Kim Yong Jae had a meeting with Vice-Minister of Trade and Industry. Concerning the results of 6PT, Mr. Kang pointed out that DPRK would return to the NPT and dismantle its nuclear programme immediately upon the U.S. provision of LWRs. Kang stated that DPRK did not insist on full implementation of the Framework Agreement signed by the Clinton Administration in 1994, but the provision of the LWRs would be a physical guarantee for confidence-building. He stressed that DPRK didn,t trust the U.S. verbal commitments and, without its nuclear deterrent, N. Korea would be in the same position as Iraq. The excursion to the nuclear power plant Temelin was a part of the visit. The Czech side during talks stressed its principal position towards a nuclear issue and approach to IAAE and NPT; called upon Koreans to implement in a transparent and verifiable manner the commitments it made in the 19 September joint statement by 6PT participants. The Czech side made it clear that the development in bilateral relations depends, among others, on the progress in solving the North Korean nuclear programmes." CABANISS