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DPRK builds foreign ties
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QUICKENING its efforts to break out of diplomatic isolation, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has opened ties with the Netherlands and agreed to relations with Turkey, officials said yesterday.
DPRK and the Netherlands opened formal relations on Monday, making the Netherlands the first country to open ties with Pyongyang this year, South Korean officials in Seoul said. North Korea's official KCNA news agency confirmed the opening following talks in December and on Monday in The Hague, the Netherlands.
In an unusual move, DPRK agreed to a Dutch proposal that its ambassador to Seoul also serve concurrently as its envoy to North Korea. The Netherlands is the eighth European Union nation to open ties with DPRK.
North Korean and Turkish officials also signed an agreement after talks on Monday in Beijing stating their nations' intention to normalize relations, said Turkish Embassy official Ilhan Tug.
While no specific date was set for opening ties and more talks are needed, Tug said the agreement "was a major step".(SD-Agencies)
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