Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06LILONGWE32
2006-01-12 14:23:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Lilongwe
Cable title:
NORTH KOREAN DELEGATION ARRIVES UNINVITED
how-toVZCZCXRO9807 RR RUEHMR DE RUEHLG #0032 0121423 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 121423Z JAN 06 FM AMEMBASSY LILONGWE TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2215 INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0054 RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 0105 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0218 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L LILONGWE 000032
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR AF/S GABRIELLE MALLORY
STATE FOR INR/AA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/2011
TAGS: PGOV KDEM MI KN
SUBJECT: NORTH KOREAN DELEGATION ARRIVES UNINVITED
Classified By: Political Officer Tyler Sparks for reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L LILONGWE 000032
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR AF/S GABRIELLE MALLORY
STATE FOR INR/AA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/2011
TAGS: PGOV KDEM MI KN
SUBJECT: NORTH KOREAN DELEGATION ARRIVES UNINVITED
Classified By: Political Officer Tyler Sparks for reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d).
1. (C) Summary: In a meeting with Ambassador Eastham,
Minister of Foreign Affairs Davies Katsonga confided that a
delegation from North Korea had arrived uninvited last week.
Malawi has allowed the delegation to meet with lower level
civil servants, however has refused requests for meetings at
the Ministerial level. End Summary.
2. (C) Katsonga said the North Koreans had some months ago
contacted Malawi, with whom they have (inactive) diplomatic
relations, and asked permission for a delegation to visit to
discuss development in Malawi. Malawi, according to
Katsonga, put off the request, and instead asked that they
reconsider the idea sometime after March (by which time,
Katsonga said, he hoped that the "nuclear issue might be
resolved").
3. (C) However, as Katsonga explained it, last week the
Ministry received a phone call that "the North Koreans were
at the airport." The North Koreans requested meetings with
the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Defense,
both of which the GOM decided to deny. Instead, officials at
a "lower level" are meeting with the delegation, which is
still in the country.
4. (C) The Ambassador told Katsonga that quite aside from
the question of nuclear issues, which was extremely important
to global security, the North Koreans were bad news. They
had a history of behaving like gangsters, had repeatedly
engaged in smuggling, money-laundering, and similar
activities to fund their overseas operations, and any
&development funds8 they might offer could very well
represent ill-gotten gains. Malawi would be much better off
simply declining whatever they might have on their minds.
5. (C) Comment: When we called for the appointment yesterday
(to deliver the U.N. reform demarche),we didn,t mention to
the Ministry the subject matter, and we suspect the Minister
thought the Ambassador was coming over to say something about
the North Korean visit. If the Department wishes to provide
any supplemental guidance to the Ambassador's off-the-cuff
response reported above, we would be happy to go back to
Katsonga. We will follow up on this information to see what
the Malawians will tell us about the North Korean
delegation's purpose. End Comment.
EASTHAM
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR AF/S GABRIELLE MALLORY
STATE FOR INR/AA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/2011
TAGS: PGOV KDEM MI KN
SUBJECT: NORTH KOREAN DELEGATION ARRIVES UNINVITED
Classified By: Political Officer Tyler Sparks for reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d).
1. (C) Summary: In a meeting with Ambassador Eastham,
Minister of Foreign Affairs Davies Katsonga confided that a
delegation from North Korea had arrived uninvited last week.
Malawi has allowed the delegation to meet with lower level
civil servants, however has refused requests for meetings at
the Ministerial level. End Summary.
2. (C) Katsonga said the North Koreans had some months ago
contacted Malawi, with whom they have (inactive) diplomatic
relations, and asked permission for a delegation to visit to
discuss development in Malawi. Malawi, according to
Katsonga, put off the request, and instead asked that they
reconsider the idea sometime after March (by which time,
Katsonga said, he hoped that the "nuclear issue might be
resolved").
3. (C) However, as Katsonga explained it, last week the
Ministry received a phone call that "the North Koreans were
at the airport." The North Koreans requested meetings with
the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Defense,
both of which the GOM decided to deny. Instead, officials at
a "lower level" are meeting with the delegation, which is
still in the country.
4. (C) The Ambassador told Katsonga that quite aside from
the question of nuclear issues, which was extremely important
to global security, the North Koreans were bad news. They
had a history of behaving like gangsters, had repeatedly
engaged in smuggling, money-laundering, and similar
activities to fund their overseas operations, and any
&development funds8 they might offer could very well
represent ill-gotten gains. Malawi would be much better off
simply declining whatever they might have on their minds.
5. (C) Comment: When we called for the appointment yesterday
(to deliver the U.N. reform demarche),we didn,t mention to
the Ministry the subject matter, and we suspect the Minister
thought the Ambassador was coming over to say something about
the North Korean visit. If the Department wishes to provide
any supplemental guidance to the Ambassador's off-the-cuff
response reported above, we would be happy to go back to
Katsonga. We will follow up on this information to see what
the Malawians will tell us about the North Korean
delegation's purpose. End Comment.
EASTHAM