Netherlands. Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Paper presented at 4 October 1963 meeting of the Dutch Council of Ministers. The paper lays out the reasons for declining to participate in the Multilateral Force so far, but argues that due to changes in the situation – principally a turn on the part of the British toward participation – the Netherlands now should move to participate in the talks. The paper lists the (political) advantages of such participation.

A brief note suggests that the 12-page note sent to the Ministry by the North Korean Embassy in Prague should be returned as if never read. The 31 October 1967 North Korean note, introduced by a brief letter in English and provided both in French and in Korean, deals with U.S. imperialism and the risk of war it entails.

The note points out the North Korean mission in Paris (since 1968) and the intent of both the Swiss and the Austrians to establish similar missions soon. It mentions the drying up of significant communist loans as a motivation for Pyongyang's increasingly Western economic orientation, particularly through machine and equipment import.

The Jhr. Vegelin van Claerbergen proposes to the chief of the department to loosen the reins in relations with North Korea, both for reasons of commerce and of politics, namely engaging North Korea to allow it to become less dependent on China.

A memorandum on North Korea’s claim to be the sole legal representative of Korea in the context of the United Nations.