North Korea courts Syria

A top-level North Korean official held talks in Damascus with senior members of Syria’s ruling Baath Party on ways to develop relations between the two countries, Syria’s official news agency reported.

The visit by Choe Thae Bok, speaker of North Korea’s rubber-stamp parliament, comes amid lingering suspicions that North Korea may be providing nuclear assistance to Syria.

North Korea provides missile technology to Syria but has strongly denied accusations that it spreads its nuclear expertise beyond its borders.

Syria also has denied receiving any North Korean nuclear help or embarking on any nuclear programme.