Prospects of US-North Korea summit
brighten after Trump's tweet
R
Prospects that the United States and North
Korea would hold a summit brightened after
US President Donald Trump said late on
Friday Washington was having "productive
talks" with Pyongyang about reinstating the
Jun 12 meeting in Singapore.
Politico magazine reported that an advance
team of 30 White House and State Department
officials was preparing to leave for Singapore
later this weekend.
Reuters reported earlier this week the team
was scheduled to discuss the agenda and
logistics for the summit with North Korean
officials. The delegation was to include White
House Deputy Chief of Staff Joseph Hagin and
deputy national security adviser Mira Ricardel,
US officials said, speaking on condition of
anonymity.
Trump said in a Twitter post late on Friday:
"We are having very productive talks about
reinstating the Summit which, if it does
happen, will likely remain in Singapore on the
same date, June 12th., and, if necessary, will
be extended beyond that date."
Trump had earlier indicated the summit could
be salvaged after welcoming a conciliatory
statement from North Korea saying it
remained open to talks.
"It was a very nice statement they put out,"
Trump told reporters at the White House.
"We'll see what happens - it could even be the
12th."
"We're talking to them now. They very much
want to do it. We'd like to do it," he said.
The comments on the summit with North
Korea's leader Kim Jong Un came just a day
after Trump canceled the meeting, citing
Pyongyang's "open hostility."
South Korea's presidential spokesman said in
response: "It's fortunate that hope is still alive
for US-North Korea dialogue. We are
continuing to watch developments carefully."
THREATS, INSULTS
After years of tension over Pyongyang's
nuclear weapons programme, Kim and Trump
agreed this month to hold what would be the
first meeting between a serving US president
and a North Korean leader. The plan followed
months of war threats and insults between the
leaders over North Korea's development of
missiles capable of reaching the United
States.
Trump scrapped the meeting in a letter to Kim
on Thursday after repeated threats by North
Korea to pull out over what it saw as
confrontational remarks by US officials
demanding unilateral disarmament. Trump
cited North Korean hostility in cancelling the
summit.
In Pyongyang, North Korean Vice Foreign
Minister Kim Kye Gwan said North Korea's
criticisms had been a reaction to American
rhetoric and that current antagonism showed
"the urgent necessity" for the summit.
He said North Korea regretted Trump's
decision to cancel and remained open to
resolving issues "regardless of ways, at any
time."
Kim Kye Gwan said North Korea had
appreciated Trump having made the bold
decision to work toward a summit.
"We even inwardly hoped that what is called
'Trump formula' would help clear both sides of
their worries and comply with the
requirements of our side and would be a wise
way of substantial effect for settling the
issue," he said.
North Korea also went ahead with a plan to
destroy its only known nuclear site on
Thursday, the most concrete action yet since
pledging to cease all nuclear and long-range
missile tests last month.
Dozens of international journalists left North
Korea on Saturday after observing the
demolition of the underground tunnels in
Punggye-ri, where all of the North's six
nuclear tests were conducted including its
latest and largest in September.
DIPLOMATS AT WORK
Trump's latest about-face sent officials
scrambling in Washington. Defense Secretary
Jim Mattis told reporters diplomats were "still
at work" and said Trump had just sent a note
out on the summit, which could be back on "if
our diplomats can pull it off."
US State Department spokeswoman Katina
Adams declined to give details of any
diplomatic contacts but said: "As the
president said in his letter to Chairman Kim,
dialogue between the two is the only dialogue
that matters. If North Korea is serious, then
we look forward to hearing from them at the
highest levels."
White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told
reporters Trump did not want a meeting that
was "just a political stunt."
"He wants to get something that's a long-
lasting and an actual real solution. And if they
are ready to do that then ... we're certainly
ready to have those conversations," she said.
by: bdnews24