Thessaloniki European Council, Presidency Conclusions

European Council Meeting, June 22, 2003.

The European Council met in Thessaloniki on 19 and 20 June 2003. The meeting was preceded by an exposé by the President of the European Parliament, Mr Pat Cox, followed by an exchange of views concerning the main items on the agenda.

VIII. EXTERNAL RELATIONS

North Korea

The European Council remains seriously concerned at North Korea’s nuclear programme and its failure to comply with its IAEA safeguards agreement, which undermine the non-proliferation regime. The Council calls on North Korea to refrain from any action that would further aggravate the problem. It also urges North Korea to visibly, verifiably and irreversibly dismantle its nuclear programme, as a fundamental step to facilitate a comprehensive and peaceful solution, and to return to full compliance with its international non-proliferation obligations. The European Union reaffirms its readiness to contribute to a multilateral diplomatic solution to the crisis and expresses support for the Peace and Prosperity Policy followed by the Republic of Korea.