EU foreign ministers agreed in principle today to send a diplomatic mission to North Korea to help resolve a nuclear stand-off between the Stalinist country and the United States, officials said.
Diplomats said the EU delegation was likely to be led by foreign affairs high representative Mr Javier Solana, who "has received a formal invitation from the North Koreans" to head to Pyongyang, according to one diplomat.
Officials said Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou might also take part.
"There was an agreement to let the Greek presidency, if it saw fit, to organise such a mission," said an EU official, adding that both North and South Korea were eager to see the Union play a role in defusing tensions with the United States.
"We don't pretend to be a major player," the official said, "but the North Koreans see us as a neutral player and there has also been a whole range of contacts with South Korea".
The EU would press North Korea to respect its international commitments, diplomats said. "There is a consensus that North Korea has to resume its international obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)," said one.
Tensions have soared over North Korea's decision to reactivate a mothballed nuclear plant capable of producing weapons-grade plutonium and to withdraw from the NPT, which it announced earlier this month.
AFP