N Korea reaffirmed commitment to denuclearise: Pompeo

Washington, July 19

The US is making progress in its denuclearisation talks with North Korea, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who recently made his third trip to Pyongyang, said on Thursday.

On June 12 in Singapore, US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signed a comprehensive joint document during a historic summit. In the joint text, Kim committed to “complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula”.

Pompeo, briefing his Cabinet colleagues in the presence of reporters at the White House, said that there is still a long way to go in this regard.

“We made progress on some issues. There’s a lot of work to do. It may take some time to get where we need to go, but all of this will be taking place against the backdrop of continued enforcement of the existing sanctions,” Pompeo said.

“The North Koreans reaffirmed their commitment to denuclearise. We’re making progress along the border to get the return of remains, a very important issue for those families. We think in the next couple of weeks we’ll have the first remains returned. That’s the commitment. So progress certainly being made there.

“Still a fair amount of work to do, but a very hopeful place that we find ourselves with making this strategic change for North Korea and giving them an opportunity for a brighter future for their people,” Pompeo said.

The top American diplomat travels to New York tomorrow to meet with his South Korean counterpart and the Japanese Ambassador to the United Nations Koro Bessho, to discuss the latest on North Korea.

He would also be meeting US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley.

Pompeo will also meet with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to discuss a range of issues, including preparations for the UN General Assembly high-level week in September and also UN reforms, his spokesperson Heather Nauert said. PTI