EU to cooperate on N.K. with S.K.: Ambassador Bo Lundberg

Sweden has assumed the rotating presidency of the European Union for half a year from January through June. Swedish Ambassador to Korea Bo Lundberg explained in an interview Jan. 9 what the EU rotating presidency plans to do in its tenure.

It can be called 3E policy: first, enlargement of EU membership to the Central and Eastern European countries; second, expansion of employment; and third, protection of the environment.

In particular, with regard to employment and environment, Lundberg said that the EU thinks ¡°full employment is based on economic growth, and economic growth and environmental problems are not separate issues, and so in order to solve environmental problems, a higher level of technology than present is required. And in the process of these kinds of technical developments, economic growth will rather be stepped up.¡±

Since the Korea armistice in 1953, Sweden has served as Panmunjom¡¯s neutral inspection team, and in 1973 established an embassy in Pyongyang, maintaining long-standing diplomatic relations with North Korea.

¡°Until now there were few companies that have entered North Korea, but if European companies including those from Sweden enter North Korea in association with South Korea, it will bring about interesting and fruitful outcomes,¡± the ambassador speculated.

Kwon Ki-Tae kkt@donga.com