US President Donald Trump announced that his historic conversation with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, which ended with a joint agreement, has “enormous” relevance.
The document signed by both parties includes Kim Jong-Un promise to disarm the Korean Peninsula from nuclear weapons. But at an media conference later, Trump announced details that were not present in the document.
According to his words he would stop US military exercises in South Korea, something that is widely viewed as a discount on the part of the US.
This meeting was the first time for the current US President to meet with the leader of North Korea and it also achieved a remarkable compromise on both sides.
Last year, the two leaders exchanged insults, while North Korea held several ballistic missile tests.
For both statesmen, the Summit brought benefits, as well as the inevitable significant risk. The meeting is viewed by North Korea as a way of bringing legitimacy to a country perceived as a surrogate of the international arena. If Trump succeeds in solving the nuclear threat in the north, he would achieve something that none of his predecessors has done.
The summit focuses on nuclear disarmament and lowering the international tension. The agreement says that the two countries will collaborate on “new relations” and the US will provide “security guarantees” to North Korea.
With regard to nuclear weapons, Kim Jong-Un confirmed “its firm and unwavering commitment” for the full demilitarisation of the Korean Peninsula as far as these weapons are concerned. Observers say that the document is not sufficiently clear and concrete, particularly with regard to how this will be achieved.
However, after talks with reporters, Donald Trump said the US would stop “provocative” military games played with South Korea. He added that he wants to see US troops returning home from the South Korea. A spokesman for US forces said he has not yet received new guidelines for such manoeuvres.
On nuclear disarmament, he said Kim Jong-Un agreed to be “checked” – a key demand from the US before the meeting. The US President also pointed out that the North Korean leader also agreed to destroy the “main rocket test field”. But Trump stressed that sanctions would remain in force for now and “we have not waived anything”.
The international community’s response was mainly positive. South Korean President Moon Jae-In, who held its own meeting with Kim earlier this year, said “the two Koreas and the US will write a new history of peace and cooperation”. However, his spokesman also said the “exact meaning and intention” of what was said by Trump “must be assessed”.
China, the only significant diplomatic and economic ally of North Korea, also said the meeting created a “new story”. The Foreign Ministry pointed out that the sanctions for North Korea could be lifted if Pyongyang adheres to UN resolutions.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe praised President Tramp’s “leadership and efforts”, saying he supports the promise of North Korea for nuclear demilitarisation as a “step towards the overall resolution of the problems around North Korea”.
However, Russia has warned that “small details are of great importance” and Iran has called on North Korea not to trust the US.
