The focus of the world is now on Singapore, where all the action will unfold as the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, meets US President Donald Trump. Their agenda is to work out a formula to ensure peace in the region. The summit meeting has a historic significance because it will be the first time that a leader of North Korea will come face to face with a sitting US president. The BBC reports that Kim Jong-un has arrived ahead of Donald Trump and, in the opinion of the US president, both of them will have to tread with caution given the unfamiliar territory.

The end result must be productive for both sides.

The Singapore agenda

The Singapore summit is the result of the tiring efforts of Moon Jae-in, the president of South Korea. He was instrumental in charting a probable path for the peace process via the 2018 Winter Olympics. DC wants Pyongyang to call a halt to its nuclear programs and the success of the talks will depend on how much Kim Jong-un is willing to sacrifice. It is a fact that global sanctions are hurting the economy of the hermit kingdom and it wants to gain relief. The question uppermost in the mind of experts is whether North Korea will agree to give up its complete arsenal of nuclear weapons.

The utterances of Donald Trump and the North Korean leader have kept the world on edge with their threats and counter threats.

Their willingness to have a meeting to iron out differences has come as a big relief. Both leaders will meet Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong before their summit.

Role of Singapore is an important one

Singapore is set to play a vital role in the summit. The tension on the Korean peninsula was growing and it had given rise to fears of a major nuclear confrontation.

However, things appear to have quieted down after Kim’s peace overtures in January. He extended an olive branch to the South when he reactivated the hotline that had been lying idle for a long time. The stage is now set for a one-to-one dialogue between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un.

According to The Guardian, the North Korean leader has already arrived in Singapore amidst high-security cover and is putting up in the St Regis hotel.

This is the same hotel that was patronized by the Chinese president Xi Jinping. Donald Trump and his delegation have also arrived after the G7 meeting in Canada. The president, accompanied by his top officials, came in Air Force One and will put up at the Shangri-La hotel. The venue of the summit is the Capella hotel on the small island of Sentosa.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED