Australia says no to North Korean embassy
ABC June 5, 2013, 11:19 pm
Australia has told North Korea it cannot re-establish an embassy in Canberra.
The embassy in the capital was shut down in 2008 for financial reasons, but North Korea recently approached the Federal Government to revive a diplomatic presence.
Foreign Affairs Minister Bob Carr initially said he would be happy to facilitate a potential line of communication to Pyongyang.
However, he now says the country's aggressive behaviour in recent months has prompted Australia to shut down the proposal.
"We indicated that given their bellicose behaviour we did not want them to proceed," he said.
"I've got to say that everyone who's engaged with North Korea - and that includes Senator John Kerry - looks forward to involving North Korea in negotiations."
