North Korea in back-door bid to split Canada from US-led efforts to push denuclearisation
- Pyongyang has complained that Ottawa was following Washington and not acting as an independent nation in its relations with their country
- The US is pushing for ‘maximum pressure’ in the form of sanctions on North Korea until it gives up its nuclear weapons
North Korean officials complained that Ottawa was following Washington and not acting as an independent nation in its relations with their country during a rare visit to Canada, the South China Morning Post has learned.
Canadian media reported earlier this month that a five-member delegation from North Korea quietly met with Canadian officials in September, but details of the North Korean side’s perception of Ottawa have not been revealed until now.
Civil society representatives who held a round table with North Korean officials after their discussions with Canadian bureaucrats said they expressed frustration over Canada’s support for US efforts to isolate Pyongyang.
As well as upholding UN sanctions against Pyongyang over its illicit nuclear and missile tests, Ottawa maintains its own sanctions and travel restrictions for the country.