MIAMI, United States. – The new North Korean ambassador to Cuba, Han Su Chol, officially began his duties on the island on Thursday after presenting his credentials to Cuban Vice President Salvador Valdés Mesa and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Cuban regime, Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla.
During the presentation of credentials, Valdés Mesa highlighted that North Korea is a “sister nation” for Cuba and that both countries share a “long history of struggle against imperialism,” which he defined as a “common enemy.” He also assured that “Korea [del Norte] can always count on Cuba.”
For his part, Han Su Chol pledged to “actively work to strengthen and expand cooperation in all areas” in his new role in Havana, according to the statements collected by the Office of the President of Cuba.
The Havana regime, which established diplomatic relations with North Korea in 1960, just a year after the US came to power, Fidel Castroholds a privileged position in the limited circle of nations that maintain diplomatic interactions with the Asian country.
However, according to the North Korean agency NK Newsthe link between both regimes would have been affected recently when Havana established formal relations with South Korea in February this year, which, according to the source, caused unrest in Pyongyang.
This discontent was expressed, according to experts quoted by NK News, with the departure of the former North Korean ambassador to Cuba, Ma Chol Su, after five years in office. Some interpreted this as a “punishment” for not having prevented rapprochement between Cuba and South Korea.
Now, both countries appear to have decided to prioritize their political and ideological ties, said Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University. “It seems that both countries placed greater importance on preserving their political and ideological ties, which led to the restoration of relations,” Lim said.
At the end of January this year, the Cuban regime appointed as its new ambassador to North Korea Eduardo Luis García Correa. According to a report by the North Korean state news agency KCNA, quoted by the EFE news agencyGarcía Correa’s appointment came at a critical time, when North Korea had closed several of its embassies abroad in an effort to cut costs and reorganize its diplomatic strategy.
Specifically, the North Korean regime has closed its diplomatic missions in Spain, Angola, Nepal, Bangladesh, Uganda, Hong Kong and Libya.
