EU hails inter-Korean talks as "encouraging signal"

BRUSSELS, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU)'s top diplomat Tuesday applauded the inter-Korean talks, saying they are "an encouraging signal" and "a positive step" towards the improvement of relations between the two sides.

EU High Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini said in a statement that the bloc welcomed the joint announcements adopted after the talks, hailing that they "can be conducive to fostering trust and de-escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula."

The EU also expected that the talks would "prepare the ground for the DPRK to engage in a broader, credible and meaningful dialogue, aimed at pursuing the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the peninsula," said Mogherini.

The senior-level, inter-governmental dialogue between the two Koreas, the first in about two years, was held in the truce village of Panmunjom on Tuesday, a breakthrough in improving inter-Korean relations and building peace on the peninsula.

After the talks which lasted for over 10 hours, the two sides hammered out a three-point joint statement, agreeing to cooperate with each other for the 2018 Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games to be held in South Korea's eastern county of Pyeongchang in February and March respectively.

Seoul and Pyongyang also decided to hold separate military talks after agreeing efforts should be made to ease military tensions, create a peaceful environment on the peninsula, and promote reconciliation and unity of both sides.

Under the three-point agreement, South Korea and the DPRK will honor the declarations they made in the past and resolve all issues on inter-Korean relations through talks and negotiations. Enditem