North Korea’s veteran diplomat Kang Sok-ju, who has embarked on a rare tour to four European countries, said that North Korea is leaving the door open for South Korea to improve inter-Korean relations.

Kang, the secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, made the remarks on Sunday to KBS reporters in Berlin, Germany.

He said that problems will be resolved smoothly as long as the two Koreas implement past agreements reached between their leaders in 2000 and 2007.

Kang also said that the six-party nuclear talks could resume only when the United States withdraw preconditions that it presented to the North for the resumption of the talks.
 
The North Korean diplomat said that he is visiting Berlin at the invitation of Germany’s Social Democratic Party, adding the two sides will discuss issues of mutual interest.