Feb 28, 2019
HANOI: The current hostilities between India and Pakistan will end soon, US
President Donald Trump has said. Addressing a press conference at the end of
his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in the Vietnamese Capital, Trump
said the US has some "reasonably attractive news" about the Indo-Pak conflict.
"We have been involved in trying to help them and we have some reasonably decent
news," he said. "I think hopefully that could be coming to an end," he added.
Meanwhile, it was reported that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claimed he
spent a “good deal of time on the phone” with Indian and Pakistani leaders to
make sure “there was good information exchanged, encouraging each country to
not take any action that would escalate and create increased risk”.
The US Secretary of State was speaking to reporters on his efforts to de-escalate
tensions on his way back from Hanoi.
No agreement as second round of talks with
Kim in Vietnam cut short
US President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un’s summit in Vietnam was abruptly
cut short on Thursday as they failed to reach an agreement over lifting of sanctions
and North Korean denuclearisation.
There was no decision on a third summit either. Trump urged 'friend Kim' to
see Vietnam as blueprint for North Korea. Trump told the press conference, "We
had very productive time. Our relationship is very strong. Sometimes we have
to walk... Basically they wanted the sanctions to be lifted."
A scheduled working lunch and signing ceremony was cancelled at the last minute
as talks in Hanoi hit a roadblock. Trump said that Kim wanted all economic sanctions
against North Korea lifted.
However, North Korea has denied Trump's claim that the country demanded all
sanctions lifted during the summit in Hanoi.
After the talks ended abruptly, North Korea's Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho said
they asked only for partial sanctions relief in exchange for disabling its main
nuclear complex.
Ri said his country had made "realistic" proposals that included complete decommissioning
of Yongbyon, under the watch of US observers.
He said, "This proposal was the biggest denuclearisation measure we could take
at the present stage when taking into consideration the current level of confidence
between the DPRK and the United States."
