PYONGYANG, North Korea, DEC. 3, 2000 (ZENIT.org/Fides).- The North Korean government has officially thanked Caritas Internationalis for its aid to the country over the past five years.
Duncan MacLaren, secretary-general of Caritas, who recently went on a week's mission in North Korea, received a thank-you letter from Ri Si Hong of the Flood Damage Rehabilitation Committee. "This is the first official act of gratitude from the government, a great step forward," MacLaren told the Vatican agency Fides.
He explained that in North Korea aid agencies can only work in cooperation with government bodies. At the recent meeting with the local authorities MacLaren asked for speedier visas procedure for Caritas workers.
He added: "The Caritas Internationalis secretary has already obtained permission to put the Holy See and Caritas marks on aid brought into the country."
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3. desember 2000