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Vietnam’s Hanoi hosts the second summit between North Korea and the United States on February 27-28.
Denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and ending international sanctions against Pyongyang are expected to be the main items on the agenda in the discussions held by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump.
The two leaders held a landmark summit in Singapore last year, the first between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader.
The June 2018 meeting produced a vague statement in which Kim and Trump outlined four commitments without an exact timeline: establishing “new relations” for peace and prosperity; building a “lasting and stable peace regime on the Korean Peninsula”; working “toward denuclearisation”; and recovering and repatriating the remains of soldiers killed during the 1950-1953 Korean War.
This time, the stakes appear to be higher amid growing expectations that the two leaders will need to make a more detailed agreement that will result in tangible progress.
Here are all the latest updates as of Monday, February 25:
Vietnam pledges ‘maximum level’ security
With Kim on board a train crossing China towards Hanoi and Trump about to board a flight to Vietnam’s capital, Vietnamese officials are scrambling to complete preparations for the much-anticipated summit.
Officials in Hanoi have pledged to provide airtight security for the two leaders, despite saying they had about 10 days to prepare for the event.
“Security will be at the maximum level,” Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung told reporters at a briefing to showcase the country’s efforts to welcome Kim and Trump.
Another official, Nguyen Manh Hung, the leader of the information ministry, said that the 3,000 journalists from 40 countries expected in Hanoi could rely on his agency as “you’d count on a family member”.
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| Vietnamese soldiers at the Dong Dang railway station where Kim is expected to arrive [Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters] |
Can North Korea follow Vietnam to economic success?
It’s dynamic, open to the outside world and becoming richer fast – while being run by a single-party communist government. Vietnam’s economy is being held up by the US as an example for North Korea to follow if it gives up its nuclear weapons.
But not everyone agrees that Kim could achieve what Vietnam has without giving up his tight grip on power.
Read more here.
US asks Russia for advice before summit
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says Washington has asked Moscow for advice before the summit in Hanoi, according to Interfax.
The news agency quotes Lavrov as saying there is no quick solution to the Korean Peninsula issue, adding that the United Nations could have lifted some sanctions against Pyongyang that hamper relations between North Korea and South Korea.
Arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam, to this Trump-Kim craziness. Tshirts, flags and haircuts. pic.twitter.com/pIAk8HdsAA
— Faras Ghani (@farasG) February 25, 2019
Vietnam aiming to cash in on ‘valuable’ event
Officials and analysts predict future economic gains as Vietnam steps up preparations to host the second summit between the two leaders.
Read more here.
Sunday, February 24:
US manages expectations for second summit
Trump is predicting a “continuation of the progress” made in Singapore, in an apparent effort to manage expectations for his second summit with Kim.
In a Twitter post, Trump says he is leaving early on Monday for the meeting in Hanoi, while also wondering: “Denuclearization?” He also says Kim knows that “without nuclear weapons, his country could fast become one of the great economic powers anywhere in the world”.
Very productive talks yesterday with China on Trade. Will continue today! I will be leaving for Hanoi, Vietnam, early tomorrow for a Summit with Kim Jong Un of North Korea, where we both expect a continuation of the progress made at first Summit in Singapore. Denuclearization?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 24, 2019
Heading into this week’s summit, Trump has said that North Korea has not tested any nuclear weapons in months and that as long as that testing has ceased, he is in no rush.
Speaking to Fox News Sunday TV programme, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says he is hoping for a “substantive step forward.” But, he cautioned, “it may not happen, but I hope that it will.”
“President Trump has also said this is going to take time. There may have to be another summit. We may not get everything done this week,” Pompeo adds.
SOURCE:
Al Jazeera and news agencies
