North Korea has finally agreed to a meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The venue will be neither Washington nor Pyongyang but Sweden. It has consented to host the meeting, as confirmed by Sweden's foreign minister Margot Wallstrom.
According to Daily Mail UK, the announcement was made after North Korea's foreign minister Ri Yong Ho arrived in Stockholm to discuss with the Swedish authorities and pave the way for the much-awaited Summit Meeting. Wallstorm said that her country was ready to help resolve tensions in the Korean peninsula because dialogue coupled with a political will can play a crucial role in such situations.
The Trump-Kim meeting is important
The possibilities of a summit meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un emerged after Moon Jae-in, president of South Korea, took the initiative. It followed the bonding between the two Koreas at the Winter Olympics. Officials of South Korea are preparing for a possible summit with the North, probably next month.
North Korea insists that it will not abandon its nuclear program. However, it could reconsider the decision if the security of its regime is guaranteed. The state media has not commented on the summit meeting but the trip of North Korea's foreign minister Ri Yong Ho to Sweden is a significant development. He had talks with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven who has indicated his willingness to be involved in the process.
Why select Sweden?
Sweden is an obvious choice for the historic summit meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un. The ties between North Korea and Sweden are more than four decades old. In 1975 Sweden opened its diplomatic mission in Pyongyang. It was the first Western embassy established in the country, and has been playing an important role as a mediator to maintain liaison with other countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia and look after their interests in North Korea.
Sweden extended assistance to American detainees in North Korea and was instrumental in securing the release of U.S. student Otto Warmbier last year. Donald Trump expressed his thanks to Stefan Lofven at a news conference in Washington last week.
Officials of South Korea are preparing the agenda for the meeting and want to leave no stone unturned in their quest for peace in the Korean peninsula.
The continuous war of words between the two leaders and testing of the missiles of the North led to fears of a nuclear war. Therefore, care must now be taken to ensure that the summit is successful, and the peace efforts do not go waste.
