PTI, Singapore :
US President Donald Trump today thanked Kim Jong-un for taking the “first bold step” towards a bright new future for his people and said the North Korean leader holds the opportunity to be remembered as one who ushered in a glorious new era of security and prosperity for his citizens.
Kim yesterday pledged to work toward the “complete denuclearisation” in return for security guarantees from the US as Trump wrapped up his historic summit with outcomes that could ease tensions and reshape the geopolitics of the Asia-Pacific region.
“I want to thank Chairman Kim for taking the first bold step toward a bright new future for his people. Our unprecedented meeting – the first between an American President and a leader of North Korea – proves that real change is possible!” Trump said in a tweet aboard Air Force One on his way back to Washington DC.
In Singapore yesterday, Trump held an epoch-making summit with Kim, the first-ever between the leaders of the two countries. After the meeting, North Korea agreed to give up its nuclear weapons and achieve a denuclearised Korean peninsula.”There is no limit to what NoKo (North Korea) can achieve when it gives up its nuclear weapons and embraces commerce & engagement with the world. Chairman Kim has before him the opportunity to be remembered as the leader who ushered in a glorious new era of security & prosperity for his citizens!” Trump said in another tweet.
Trump described his Singapore trip as a “truly amazing” visit.
“Great progress was made on the denuclearization of North Korea. Hostages are back home, will be getting the remains of our great heroes back to their families, no missiles shot, no research happening, sites closing…,” he said.
“Got along great with Kim Jong-un who wants to see wonderful things for his country. As I said earlier today: Anyone can make war, but only the most courageous can make peace!” Trump said in another tweet to his more than 52.7 million followers.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo headed for Seoul and then to Beijing to brief S Korean and Chinese counterparts on the just concluded summit meeting between Trump and Kim. Soon after the Singapore meeting concluded, he called his counterparts in South Korea and Japan to provide a brief readout of the talks.
Trump is celebrating Tuesday’s agreement to launch a process to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, though experts and allies are still awaiting details on the broad accord the two sides say they’ve reached.North Korea says leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump have agreed to visit to each other’s country at an unspecified time.
The invitations appear to be a trade of diplomatic pleasantries, and could also depend on progress in denuclearization that Kim promised to Trump during Tuesday’s summit.
Pyongyang’s Korean Central News Agency said Wednesday that Kim invited Trump to visit Pyongyang “at a convenient time.”
It says Trump also invited Kim to visit the United States.
KCNA says the two leaders “gladly accepted each other’s invitation, convinced that it would serve as another important occasion for improved” relations between their countries.
No sitting American and North Korean leaders have visited each other’s countries since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War.
