SEOUL.-South Korea’s presidential office He stated on Thursday that the country’s initiative to establish diplomatic relations with Cuba would deal a “political and psychological blow” to his rival North Koreawhose diplomatic alliances are mainly reduced to a small group of Cold War allies.
The South Korean Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday that it has agreed to open relations at the ambassador level with Cuba after a meeting between its representatives to the United Nations in New York.
Authoritarian leader Kim Jon Un champions the idea of a “new Cold War,” and North Korea has recently publicly strengthened its ties with Russia and China in an effort to break out of isolation and join a united front against Washington amid of tensions over the aspirations of its nuclear program. State media has not yet commented on the agreement between South Korea and Cuba.
Speaking to reporters in Seoul, A senior South Korean presidential official noted that North Korea has traditionally described its relations with Cuba as “brotherly ties” and said the opening of relations between Seoul and Havana “will inevitably deal a significant political and psychological blow.” to Pyongyang.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity during a meeting with reporters as per department policy, said President Yoon Suk Yeol’s government has actively worked to establish relations with Cuba, but that Cuba had reservations. initially due to its proximity to North Korea.
Cuba has maintained close ties with North Korea since the 1960s and has an embassy in Pyongyang.
“The opening of diplomatic ties (with Cuba) is the culmination of our efforts to expand our diplomacy to nations that have been part of the socialist bloc, including countries that have been friendly to North Korea,” indicated the South Korean official. “It clearly shows where the mainstream is in the flow of history, and also who is participating in that mainstream.”
The official indicated that South Korea had informed the United States in advance of its decision. The United States maintains an economic embargo on Cuba that began in the 1960s after the revolution led by Fidel Castro and the nationalization of properties belonging to American citizens and corporations.
Lim Soosuk, a spokesman for South Korea’s Foreign Ministry, said Cuba was the only country in the South American and Caribbean region that did not have official ties with Seoul. He noted that opening to Cuba would allow new business opportunities for South Korean firms and make it easier for South Korea to provide consular assistance to its citizens on the Caribbean island.
“Going forward, our government will actively engage in new dialogues with the Cuban government to foster friendship, including opening embassies,” Lim said. He declined to give details about talks between diplomats from the two countries before the deal in New York.
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula are at their highest point in years after Kim increased North Korean weapons tests and made provocative threats of nuclear conflict toward his rivals in recent months. Kim declared that North Korea has abandoned its long-term goal of reconciling with South Korea and threatened to annihilate the neighboring country with nuclear weapons if provoked.
Source: With information from AP
