Singaporean Foreign Minister Winds Up Working Visit to North Korea |
ASEAN Beat | Diplomacy | Southeast Asia
Singaporean Foreign Minister Winds Up Working Visit to North Korea
The visit, which coincided with the 50th anniversary of relations between the two countries, came as part of a tour that also included stops in China and South Korea.
Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan yesterday wound up a rare visit to North Korea, part of a three-nation diplomatic tour that also includes a visit to its twin on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula.
Balakrishnan arrived in Pyongyang on Tuesday for a meeting with Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui. According to the North Korean news agency KCNA, the two leaders discussed “strengthening bilateral ties” and “exchanged views on regional and global affairs,” in Reuters’ paraphrase.
Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs was more forthright, stating that the meeting between Balakrishnan and Choe included “wide-ranging candid discussions on regional and international issues, as well as developments on the Korean Peninsula.”
Balakrishnan also “encouraged the DPRK to engage constructively with the region and keep channels open for dialogue,” the Ministry said in a statement.
During the visit, Balakrishnan’s first since 2018, the Singaporean envoy also met with Jo Yong Won, the chairman of the Standing Committee of North Korea’s Supreme People’s Assembly, who gave him an update on political developments in the DPRK.
“Minister Balakrishnan highlighted that amid ongoing global uncertainty, it was even more important for countries to maintain dialogue and communication to maintain peace and stability,” the Ministry added.
The visit coincided with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries,
Balakrishnan’s rare North-South “double” followed a visit to China between May 24 and 26, during which he met officials, including Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and........