[ad_1]
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, left, and Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, shake hands before a meeting in the Abe offices in Tokyo, Saturday, October 6, 2018. Pompeo arrived at Tokyo for talks with Japanese officials in anticipation of his trip to the north of the country. Korea. (Eugene Hoshiko, Pool / Associate Press)
TOKYO – US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Saturday that the Trump government's efforts to bring North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons would be fully coordinated with its allies, Japan and South Korea, while he was preparing to go to Pyongyang under pressure this goal.
Pompeo met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo on the eve of his fourth visit to North Korea, during which he will seek to hold a second summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and to mark the path of denuclearization. . Japan, in particular, has been wary of Trump's initiative, fearing that this will affect its long-standing security relationship with the United States.
Pompeo told Abe that it was important for him to hear the Japanese leader "so that we could have a perfectly coordinated and unified view" and promised to raise the cases of Japanese citizens kidnapped by the North Korea when he met Kim and officials in Pyongyang Sunday. Pompeo will then travel to South Korea and China to review the negotiations.
"It is important for us to hear from you during my trip to Pyongyang to make sure we are fully aligned with missile programs, programs (chemical and biological weapons)," Pompeo told Abe. "We will also discuss the issue of abductees, and then we will explain how we hope to proceed when we are in Pyongyang tomorrow."
Pompeo's diplomatic offensive comes as Trump presses to meet Kim for the second time after their June summit in Singapore culminated in a vague agreement on denuclearization with little or no detail. Despite the historic meeting, the two sides are deadlocked on the achievement of this goal and Trump has canceled the return originally planned by Pompeo in North Korea last month.
Unlike South Korea, whose president Moon Jae-in was one of the first to encourage Trump's rapprochement with the North, Japan has been cautiously cautious, insisting that its interests and concerns be taken into account. .
Abe did not talk about differences but stressed the importance of demonstrating to the world that the US-Japan alliance is "stronger than ever" and highlighting the importance of a "in-depth coordination" with Washington on all aspects of North Korean politics.
Pompeo has repeatedly refused to discuss details of the negotiations, including a US position on North Korea's request to end the Korean War and a proposal by Seoul that the declaration be accompanied by closure. of its main known nuclear facility.
Speaking on board his plane on Friday, Pompeo said his mission was to "make sure we understand what each party is really trying to achieve … and how we can meet the commitments that have been made. taken "in Singapore. He said that they would develop options, if not finalize, the venue and timing of a second Trump-Kim summit.
It has also moved away from the stated goal of North Korea abandoning nuclear weapons by the end of Trump's tenure in January 2021.
Since efforts began with a secret visit to northern Pompeo, then head of the CIA, in April, progress has been limited.
Until now, North Korea has suspended nuclear testing and missile testing, released three US prisoners and dismantled elements of a missile-making facility and tunnel entrances on a site. 39, nuclear tests. He took no action to stop the development of nuclear weapons or missiles.
The North also accused Washington of making "unilateral and gangster" demands for denuclearization and insisted that sanctions be lifted before any progress in the nuclear negotiations. The US authorities have so far stated that the sanctions would remain in effect until the denuclearization of the North is fully verified.
In the absence of sanctions relief, North Korea rejected Washington's proposal: a comprehensive inventory of its nuclear and ballistic missile facilities that can be used by international inspectors to verify their dismantling.
___
AP Diplomatic Editor Matthew Lee in Seoul, South Korea, contributed to the writing of this report.
Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, disseminated, rewritten or redistributed.
[ad_2]Source link
