N. Korea, Namibia reach deals

Posted on : 2008-03-22 14:25 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST

North Korea agreed Friday to cooperate in health and medicine with Namibia while reaching a preliminary deal on "diplomatic negotiations" with the world's fifth-largest uranium producer, Pyongyang's official media reported.

Kim Yong-nam, North Korea's second-highest official, met with Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba earlier in the day (Korean Time) and agreed to cooperate in "public health and traditional medicine," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

The KCNA also said a memorandum of understanding was exchanged between the foreign ministers of the two countries concerning diplomatic talks. But the report, monitored here in Seoul, did not elaborate.

Kim, the nominal head of the communist state that practices an all-pervasive personality cult for its leader Kim Jong-il, led the largest North Korean delegation to Africa since 2005 when he visited Namibia on Thursday, the first leg of his four-nation tour in the continent.

The visit by Kim, who was accompanied by 23 officials including trade and health ministers, comes as Pyongyang is wrangling with Washington over a list of its nuclear weapons programs, including those concerning uranium enrichment.

Pyongyang denies the existence of any clandestine uranium enrichment program, but Washington insists on having it addressed in the list. Under a six-nation accord, North Korea is to declare and dismantle all of its nuclear weapons programs and facilities in exchange for various incentives.

A diplomatic source in South Korea, however, dismissed the possibility that North Korea could seek cooperation in uranium enrichment with Namibia, which recently announced it would enrich local uranium under the supervision of the United Nations nuclear watchdog.

"Considering the serious economic hardships facing North Korea, the communist state appears to be seeking to expand economic cooperation with African nations based on stronger diplomatic ties," the source said.

"One possible part of the economic cooperation pledged would be exports of arms and manpower," the source added. Over 1,000 North Korean workers are currently believed to be in Africa, according to news reports.

Reuters earlier reported from the Namibian capital of Windhoek that officials there declined to discuss whether cooperation on uranium enrichment would be on the agenda with the visiting North Koreans.

The North set up diplomatic ties with Namibia when the African country gained independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990.

Africa is familiar territory for North Korea, which has for years sought to expand economic and trade cooperation there as part of its efforts to break diplomatic isolation and alleviate its economic difficulties.

In 2001, South Korea's state-run trade agency said North Korea took part in construction projects in 26 African states, including Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa.

SEOUL, March 21 (Yonhap)

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