Kim wants economic ties with West

Press, 12 September 1988, Page 8

Kim wants economic ties with West

NZPA-Reuter Tokyo The North Korean President, Kim 11-Sung, says he wants Pyongyang to develop economic and technical links with capitalist countries. Speaking at a meeting in Pyongyang to celebrate the 40th anniversary of his communist Government, Mr Kim said, “We should develop goodneighbourly, friendly relations with those capitalist countries which respect the sovereignty of our country.” ■ North Korea, one of the world’s most isolated countries, currently has almost no trade ties with non-communist countries and has defaulted on its debts to many Western banks.

Mr Kim’s speech, quoted by the North Korean Central News Agency monitored in Tokyo, said his Government was willing to develop economic and technical ties with capitalist countries without establishing diplomatic relations. The speech, one of the longest issued by the agency in recent ’ years, called again for talks between North and South Korea, which have been divided since the end of World War Two. Mr Kim also repeated his call for a peace agreement between North Korea and the United States and the adoption of a non-aggression declaration by the two Koreas.