US embassy cable - 05PRAGUE1664

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 PRAGUE 001664 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
 
EUR/NCE FOR FICHTE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/27/2015 
TAGS: EZ, KN, KNNP, MNUC, PREL, PGOV, PHUM, CH 
SUBJECT: CZECHS: DPRK'S VISIT WAS AN INTERNAL PROBLEM, ON 
TO CHINA'S VISIT 
 
REF: A. SECSTATE 208503 
 
     B. PRAGUE 1515 
 
Classified By: Poloff Brian Greaney for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) 
 
1. (S) Summary: The Czech MFA understands U.S. dismay over 
the October 20 visit of a DPRK Parliamentary delegation to 
the Temelin Nuclear Power Plant, and will again oppose any 
similar requests for visits or for nuclear cooperation in the 
future. The Czechs will not directly focus on China's human 
rights during Premier Wen Jiabao's upcoming visit. The Czechs 
would welcome in-depth consultations with USG experts on 
North Korea, China and other Asian countries -- a suggestion 
post strongly supports. End summary. 
 
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NORTH KOREANS AT A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT: 
A BAD IDEA FROM THE COMMUNISTS 
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2. (S) Ambassador raised reftel A points regarding U.S. 
dismay over the DPRK parliamentary delegation's visit to the 
nuclear power plant at Temelin with Prime Minister Jiri 
Paroubek at a lunch meeting Nov 17. The Ambassador termed the 
DPRK visit to Temelin an unfortunate example of Communist 
influence on Czech foreign policy. This, along with growing 
Communist influence on economic legislation, was causing 
growing concern in Washington. Paroubek offered no direct 
response. 
 
3. (S) Polecon Counselor Nov 23 delivered reftel A points to 
Jan Fury, Director of the MFA's Asia/Pacific Department. 
Reiterating the visit was at the invitation of Vojtech Filip, 
Vice Speaker of Parliament and Chairman of the Czech 
Communist Party, Fury confided the MFA had lobbied strongly 
against the trip.  Fury shared the text of the Czech MFA's 
report on the visit with us (text included para 4). Turning 
to the economic aspects of the "Action Plan" the GOCR and 
DPRK government signed on 12 September (Ref B), Fury said the 
DPRK is now pushing for greater direct economic ties with the 
Czech Republic and is seeking export credits. However even 
the the Ministry of Industry and Trade, which is almost 
always interested in greater foreign economic cooperation, 
realized closer economic ties with the DPRK would not be 
worthwhile, due to the North Koreans' inability to pay. 
 
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CHINA COMES CALLING 
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4. (C) Addressing the planned early December visit of Chinese 
Premier Wen Jiabao, Fury said the agenda was still being 
worked out and the GOCR was searching for a range of 
deliverables (Fury expressed some frustration that the MFA 
was under much pressure from the Prime Minister - who visited 
China earlier this year - to come up with deliverables). The 
Chinese had suggested the Czechs ease visa restrictions on 
Chinese travelers, something the Czech side is not prepared 
to consider. There had also been discussion on the 
possibility of introducing direct flights between Beijing and 
Prague. Fury thought this would come to nothing, as Czech 
airlines does not currently have the capacity to add this 
route. Fury indicated the Chinese were hoping to finalize a 
bilateral economic agreement, but the deal as currently 
negotiated did not meet EU rules. Fury assured us the Czechs 
remain solidly in our camp on Taiwan policy. He believed 
China's human rights record would best be approached 
indirectly, rather than be a focus for discussion. Pol-Econ 
Couselor encouraged Fury to ensure that the Czechs' continued 
to speak out on China's human rights record. 
 
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ACTION REQUEST: 
HELPING THE CZECHS ALIGN WITH U.S. POLICY 
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5. (S) Fury, expanding on a previous offer (REF B), said he 
would welcome closer cooperation with the U.S. on both the 
DPRK and a range of other EAP issues, mentioning China and 
Burma as specific priorities. He said he would be willing to 
visit Washington in early 2006 to coordinate with State 
Department officials on the appropriate policies for the 
range of challenges that face both the United States and the 
Czech Republic. Embassy Prague strongly supports this 
opportunity to ensure the Czechs align even more closely with 
our EAP goals, and requests an indication of interest from 
the Department. A meeting for Fury with the Department's EAP 
leadership may make the Czech Republic a better partner for 
the United States on Asia Policy, including in relation to 
the DPRK. End action request. 
 
6. (S/NF) 
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Text of MFA Report on the DPRK visit 
to the Czech Republic (as prepared for 
distribution within COREU channels) 
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"DPRK Parliamentary delegation visit to the Czech Republic 
 
DPRK Parliamentary delegation headed by Kang Nung Su, 
Vice-President of the Supreme People,s Assembly of DPRK, 
visited the Czech Republic on the 17-22 October 2005 on the 
invitation of Deputy Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of 
the Czech Parliament. 
 
The delegation met the Deputy Speaker, Vice-President of the 
Senate, and it was received by the Speaker of  Parliament. 
MP and Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Commerce Mr. Kim Yong 
Jae had a meeting with Vice-Minister of Trade and Industry. 
 
Concerning the results of 6PT, Mr. Kang pointed out that DPRK 
would return to the NPT and dismantle its nuclear programme 
immediately upon the U.S. provision of LWRs.  Kang stated 
that DPRK did not insist on full implementation of the 
Framework Agreement signed by the Clinton Administration in 
1994, but the provision of the LWRs would be a physical 
guarantee for confidence-building.  He stressed that DPRK 
didn,t trust the U.S. verbal commitments and, without its 
nuclear deterrent, N. Korea would be in the same position as 
Iraq. 
 
The excursion to the nuclear power plant Temelin was a part 
of the visit.  The Czech side during talks stressed its 
principal position towards a nuclear issue and approach to 
IAAE and NPT; called upon Koreans to implement in a 
transparent and verifiable manner the commitments it made in 
the 19 September joint statement by 6PT participants.  The 
Czech side made it clear that the development in bilateral 
relations depends, among others, on the progress in solving 
the North Korean nuclear programmes." 
CABANISS