Tillerson said earlier that U. S. ‚a long way‘ from negotiations with N. Korea.
President Donald Trump ’s plan to meet face-to-face with North Korea ’s Kim Jong Un elicited expressions of cautious optimism from some of the countries that may have the most at stake from Pyongyang’s nuclear program.
„Meeting being planned!“ Trump tweeted late Thursday ET, just hours after he spoke to South Korean National Security Director Chung Eui-yong, who made the blockbuster announcement.
Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned!
Chung said the American president „will meet Kim Jong Un by May to achieve permanent denuclearization.“
And neighboring countries welcomed the announcement.
In China, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang told reporters that Beijing „welcomes these positive signals“ and hopes „all parties could show their political courage.“
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who spoke to Trump on Thursday night, said Friday that he appreciated “North Korea’s change.“
“We will continue imposing the utmost pressure until North Korea takes specific actions toward thorough, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization,” Abe said, while also emphasizing that “Japan and the U. S. have been and will be together 100 percent.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also welcomed the announcement, telling state news agency Tass that Russia sees the planned meeting this as a „a step in the right direction.
