Carter to visit N. Korea from Tues. to discuss nuclear, food issues

BEIJING (Kyodo) - Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and three former European leaders will pay a three-day visit to North Korea from Tuesday in a trip they hope will ease tensions between North and South Korea and revive the stalled six-party talks on Pyongyang's nuclear programs.
''At a time when official dialogue with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea appears to be at a standstill, we aim to see how we may be of assistance in reducing tensions and help the parties address key issues including denuclearization,'' Carter said in a statement issued Sunday, referring to North Korea by its official name.
Carter and three other veteran international statesmen known as the Elders -- former Finish President Martti Ahtisaari, former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Brundtland and former Irish President Mary Robinson -- will hold a press conference in Beijing on Monday.
Along with inter-Korea and nuclear issues, the four will discuss with North Korean officials reported food shortages in the country. It was not immediately clear whether the four will hold talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.
''We are very concerned about the acute shortage of food reported by the government of North Korea and humanitarian
agencies,'' Brundtland, a former director general of the World Health Organization, said in a statement.
''Any immediate humanitarian needs must be met -- but we also want to discuss longer-term food security and health issues that are so important to economic development,'' she said.
The four former leaders are scheduled to visit South Korea following the trip to North Korea.