Readout of the Secretary-General's meeting with Vice Foreign Minister of the DPRK

The Secretary-General met this afternoon with Pak Gil Yon, Vice Foreign Minister of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and discussed matters of mutual interest and concern including UN-DPRK relations as well as the nuclear and humanitarian issues. They welcomed the visits carried out this year by the Secretary-General's Special Envoy, B. Lynn Pascoe, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, and by Dr. Margaret Chan, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO). They agreed to continue high-level engagement between the United Nations and the DPRK.

The Secretary-General appreciated the DPRK's participation in the MDG summit and further encouraged the government to step up its efforts to close the gap in achieving the MDG targets.

The Secretary-General reiterated his sincere hope that the nuclear and other outstanding issues will be resolved through dialogue.

The Secretary-General expressed concern about the humanitarian situation in the DPRK, particularly since the recent floods. He highlighted the need for a more proactive donor commitment to meet the serious humanitarian needs. In this regard, he encouraged the DPRK to increase cooperation with UN agencies, including through improved access.