EU WELCOMES AGREEMENT ON DPRK SECOND PHASE ACTIONS

UNCLAS BRUSSELS 003114 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EAP, ISN, VCI, T AND EUR/ERA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PARM KN KNNP EUN SUBJECT: EU WELCOMES AGREEMENT ON DPRK SECOND PHASE ACTIONS REF: STATE 139753 (U) 1. European Union officials emphasized their support for the agreement reached at the six-party talks with North Korea. HR Solana issued a statement on October 4 welcoming the actions announced in the agreement and congratulating the parties. He noted that the EU would look forward to the early implementation of the agreement and reiterated EU support for the process and willingness to consult with the six parties to determine "the best means by which it can assist the implementation of the September 2005 joint statement." A European Commission official responsible for North Korea told Poloff that he viewed the terms of the agreement as lying at "the positive end of the range" for possible outcomes. He noted that some questions about details of implementation and verification remained and that the EU would continue to watch the process with interest. Officials voiced their appreciation for the United States' continued transparency and consultation on the six-party talks. (SBU) 2. Our Commission contact shared his impression that the EU's thinking on engagement with North Korea has been subtly shifting since the February 13th agreement. He added, however, that the changes in some member state governments and the fact that member states have not formally discussed the issue in the past six months make it difficult to ascertain clear moves in favor of more openness. The EU's Asia working group (COASI) discussion of this issue on October 17 will provide a good opportunity to get a sense of member state positions. GRAY .