SEOUL, July 13 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's chief nuclear envoy Lim Sung-nam will visit Europe next week to meet senior officials over North Korea's nuclear weapons program and other related issues, Seoul's foreign ministry said Friday.

   During his six-day trip starting Sunday, Lim will visit France, Germany and Britain, where he will hold talks with top government officials, including the French president's diplomatic adviser Paul Jean-Ortiz, the head of the German foreign ministry's political department Clemens von Goetze, and Britain's Minister of State responsible for the Far East and Southeast Asia Jeremy Browne, the South Korean ministry said in a press release.

   The sides are expected to discuss the situation on the Korean Peninsula following the North's botched rocket launch in April, and cooperation on efforts to end Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program.

   Lim, who serves as South Korea's chief envoy to the stalled six-party talks aimed at denuclearizing the North, also plans to meet with academics and representatives from the media, the ministry said.

   The ministry noted Britain and France are permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, while Germany currently serves as a non-permanent member.

   hague@yna.co.kr
(END)