NORTH KOREAN FOREIGN MINISTER MAKES "GENERIC"

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRASILIA 000694 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/03/2019 TAGS: PREL ETRD ENRG BR KN SUBJECT: NORTH KOREAN FOREIGN MINISTER MAKES "GENERIC" VISIT TO BRAZIL, MAY 9-13 REF: A. BSB 667 ¶B. BSB 657 ¶C. BSB 453 ¶D. 08 BSB 1559 ¶E. 08 BSB 1486 Classified By: Political Counselor Stephen Liston, reasons 1.4 B and D. ¶1. (C) Summary and comment. Brazilian diplomatic sources assert that the May 9-13 visit of the North Korean Foreign Minister to Brazil had only a "generic political significance," the Koreans were not well prepared to discuss energy, one of their top priorities, and there was little substance to the visit. Sources said the DPRK FM asked for Brazil's views of President Obama and said the United States is "testing" North Korea in a way that produces only negative responses. Brazil reacted strongly to North Korea's latest nuclear test on May 25 by postponing the opening of its embassy in Pyongyang (ref A) and issuing an uncharacteristically strong statement of condemnation. Brazil is now taking stock of what others have done with regard to the DPRK,and its relationship with the DPRK may be essentially frozen for now. Even for conflict-avoidant Brazil, North Korea went too far and its nuclear test seriously set back the relationship with Brazil, undoing what little was done by FM Pak's visit last month. End summary and comment. ¶2. (C) North Korean Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun visited Brazil May 9-13 for talks on trade, energy, and political affairs. Poloff discussed the visit with First Secretary Ricardo Portugal, ROK and DPRK desk officer at Brazil's Ministry of Foreign Relations (MRE) on May 19. Portugal said the DPRK delegation arrived in Brasilia after visiting Cuba and Peru and seemed tired. It was the first visit of a DPRK FM to Brazil, and the delegation included four other DPRK Foreign Ministry officials (see below). The itinerary included a one-hour meeting with Brazilian FM Celso Amorim; a lunch given by Under Secretary Roberto Jaguaribe; a meeting with Carlos Figueiredo, the Brasilia representative of Petrobras; and a meeting with three federal deputies, including the chairman of the Foreign Relations and National Defense Committee and the leader of the Congressional Brazil-DPRK friendship group. Brazil Wants to Sell Chicken and Pork - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶3. (C) Portugal said Brazil's bilateral agenda with North Korea is above all to sell Brazilian chicken, pork, and farm machinery, and to get support for Rio de Janeiro's candidacy to host the Olympic Games in 2016. (Note: this is a more focused agenda than Portugal related to us last November, per ref E. End note.) Portugal said Amorim and Pak discussed a few proposals for bilateral cooperation - all originating on the Korean side ) but Brazil had little interest in them, except for a sports agreement since it is relevant to the Olympic Games candidacy. He said the DPRK proposed an agreement of a maritime nature (NFI) but Brazil was not interested and would probably counter with a different proposal. ¶4. (C) Portugal said North Korea requested the Foreign Minister's visit in February 2009 but following the April 5 Taepo-Dong 2 launch, Brazil wanted to downplay it. As a result, when the North Koreans requested meetings with President Lula and former president and current Senate president Jose Sarney, the MRE refused them and the highest Brazilian they saw was Foreign Minister Celso Amorim, but he did not host the lunch in their honor. DPRK Wants Deep-Water Oil Technology - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶5. (C) The North Korean delegation included one person at the Under Secretary level, who was their chief interlocutor with Petrobras. (Note: Portugal did not name the person, who may have been Pak Kun Gwang ) see delegation roster below. End note.) Their chief interest was in deep water oil exploration and drilling, in which Brazil has much experience. But Brazil is not able to take on new BRASILIA 00000694 002 OF 002 commitments in this area, and has even postponed standing commitments to other countries such as Vietnam, Portugal said. Moreover, the DPRK delegation was poorly prepared for this discussion and was unable to get into any specifics of the matter, and Brazil refused their request, Portugal explained. Missile Launch - - - - - - - - ¶6. (C) FM Pak repeated his country's claim that the April 5 Taepo-Dong 2 missile launch had put a satellite into orbit. According to Portugal, FM Amorim told Pak that Brazilian foreign policy is non-interventionist but certain subjects are by their nature international such as human rights and arms control, and Brazil will follow UN sanctions. He asked the DPRK to abstain from any actions that might raise tensions in the region. DPRK: "The United States is Testing Us" - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶7. (C) Pak asked Amorim for his "read" of President Obama and the new administration. Amorim said Brazil is "betting on it" and has noted many positive changes already such as change in Cuba policy. Pak replied that the United States is "testing" the DPRK and getting only negative responses, but Amorim countered that the DPRK should not close off channels of communication and urged the DPRK to return to the Six Party Talks. He offered Brazil's help (NFI),and urged the North Koreans "not to continue deepening a wrong policy of isolation," Portugal said. Pak thanked Brazil for abstaining on the latest country resolution on the DPRK in the UN. Desk officer Portugal noted that, in Brazil's view, such abstentions keep channels of communication open and allow Brazil to try to change the behavior of countries such as the DPRK. (Note: Portugal did not mention human rights as an issue raised with the DPRK delegation. End note.) Delegation Composition - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶8. (SBU) Members of the North Korean delegation, as provided by MRE: - Pak Ui Chun, Foreign Minister and head of delegation - Pak Kun Gwang, Ambassador-at-large, DPRK Foreign Ministry - Ho Yong Bok, Director-General for Latin America, Africa and Middle East, DPRK Foreign Ministry - Kim Hak Chol, investigator from the Latin America Department, DPRK Foreign Ministry - Ji Su Gwan, employee responsible for management of the Protocol Office of the DPRK Foreign Ministry Post-Nuclear Test - - - - - - - - - ¶9. (C) Brazil is taking stock of what others have done with regard to the DPRK: Koreas desk officer Ricardo Portugal called us on June 1 to ask for a complete list of United States sanctions against the DPRK and asked whether we had a head count of any countries that had recalled their ambassadors from Pyongyang. He said he was also gathering information from other embassies about their sanctions against the DPRK. Comment - - - - ¶10. (C) Brazil reacted strongly to North Korea's latest nuclear test on May 25 by postponing the opening of its embassy in Pyongyang (ref A) and issuing an uncharacteristically strong statement of condemnation. We believe Brazil's relationship with the DPRK may be essentially frozen for now and forward movement in trade, sports agreements, or other diplomatic initiatives is unlikely. Even for conflict-avoidant Brazil, North Korea went too far and its nuclear test seriously set back the relationship with Brazil, undoing what little was done by FM Pak's visit last month. SOBEL