There are no outward signs that the Six-Party Talks are set to immediately resume. But that has not stopped the intervention of world politics’ favorite busybody, French President Nicholas Sarkozy, from inviting himself to a party that seems indefinitely postponed. The Lisbon Treaty (the accord which will attempt to solidify the EU’s foreign affairs) is not yet completely ratified, and according to Yonhap New Agency, the French President has appointed France’s former Minister of Culture, Jack Lang, as a special envoy to the DPRK. France and the DPRK have an erratic history. The best-known North Korean-French joint project may be the Ryugyong Hotel. And yet, there are other EU countries which have closer diplomatic relations with the DPRK than France; Germany, Austria and Sweden immediately spring to mind. One can only think with all the scuttlebutt about a possible Tony Blair EU Presidency, Mr. Sarkozy (profoundly unpopular in his home country) is making a diplomatic foray to burnish his foreign policy credentials in order to challenge Mr. Blair.
Europe could participate in compensation for N. Korea’s denuclearization: French envoy
Tony Chang, 7 October 2009
Yonhap News Agency