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 June 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: “We are cautiously optimistic that hope is still alive
for US-North Korea dialogue. We are continuing to watch developments
carefully.”
After years of tension over Pyongyang’s
nuclear weapons program, 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 canceling
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.
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. (Reuters)
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