WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will urge Asian countries at an upcoming meeting in Singapore to enforce UN sanctions on North Korea aimed…
WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will urge Asian countries at an upcoming meeting in Singapore to enforce UN sanctions on North Korea aimed at dismantling Pyongyang’s nuclear programme, a US official said on Tuesday (Jul 31).
Pompeo will be in Singapore on Friday and Saturday, attending an annual meeting of foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
North Korea « is in the room as a member of the ASEAN regional forum among these 27 countries, so there will be discussions that are inclusive of North Korea, » a senior State Department official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The official did not rule out a one-on-one meeting between Pompeo and his North Korean counterpart on commitments made during the historic Jun 12 summit in Singapore between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
« With regard to potential encounters, pull aside, bilateral meetings, all of those are possible with members of the ASEAN regional forum, » the official said.
« There are chance encounters, there are sometimes planned encounters – but we’re not there yet for any announcement, » the official said.
