Singapore statement does not impress experts

Singppore Trump Kim KoreaU.S. President Donald Trump holds up the document that he and North Korea leader Kim Jong Un just signed at the Capella resort on Sentosa Island Tuesday, June 12, 2018 in Singapore. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The statement from Singapore does not impress experts

The experts are disappointed with the document Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump have signed in Singapore, but hope it provides the basis for a good process onwards.

 

– It is disappointing to see that Trump has not managed to get a single concession from Kim in relation to what he has stated before, says Professor at the Peace Research Institute PRIO, Stein Tønnesson to NTB.

If the statement as the US president showed after signing it, is the only thing they have agreed on, Tønnesson believes it is the North Korean leader who has made the most of the summit in Singapore with the US president.

– It’s a triumph for Kim, who has had a meeting with Trump without making any concessions, he says.

The document points to the summit between the North Korean leader and South Korea’s president Moon Jae-in in April, where North Korea promised to work for complete nuclear disarmament of the Korean Peninsula.

– This phraseology is well known. It dates back to Kim Il-Sung’s time, researcher at the Norwegian Defense Research Institute (FFI), Halvor Kippe, points out.

Further talks

Tønnesson says it is positive that the countries have agreed to continue the talks. The declaration states that the process will continue under the leadership of US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, and an “Important Representative” from North Korea.

They also agree to cooperate to develop better relationships between the two countries.

– They have not managed to come very far at the summit in Singapore, but these are initial meetings and the process goes on. This will provide a room for a continued bettering of relations between the two Koreas, says Tønnesson.

Tangible meassures

Head of the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies in Copenhagen, Geir Helgesen, believes that in his view the declaration shows progress, although the wording is known from before.

– The news is that the two leaders sign it, he says.

He finds it particularly interesting that the statement refers to the agreement that Kim entered into with Moon in April. It is not just a promise of peace, but plans for tangible measures, including opening channels of communication between North and South Korea, a railway and roads, he points out.

Prudent

He believes that it was prudent of Trump not to criticize human rights violations and the treatment of dissidents. Helgesen believes this situation will improve when the conflict with South Korea is resolved and North Korea becomes a more open society.

– We should not be so afraid of praising Trump. It is actually wise of him in this context to listen to the Koreans and not come out with blazing guns say: Now you must do as we see fit, says Helgesen.

He believes that Trump has signaled that if North Korea withdraws from nuclear weapons, it opens up for economic cooperation and assistance from the United States.

Japan and Malaysia will send a strong message to North Korea

The Prime Ministers of Japan and Malaysia have agreed to collaborate on a strong response to the North Korean nuclear and rocket program.

– I want to work closely with the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Mahathir Mohamad, to send a resolute message to North Korea, says Prime Minister Shinzo Abe after talks in Tokyo.

The two met the same day as the summit was held in Singapore between the President of the United States of America and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un Tuesday.

Facts about the final statement from the Singapore meeting

These are the main points in the final statement from the Singapore meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un:

  • The United States and North Korea undertake to establish relations between the two countries in line with the two nations’ desire for peace and prosperity.
  • The United States and North Korea will jointly seek to build a lasting and stable peace regime on the Korean Peninsula.
  • North Korea refers to the Panmunjom Declaration of April 27th, 2018, and pledges to work for total nuclear disarmament of the Korean Peninsula.
  • The United States and North Korea undertake to locate the remains of prisoners of war and people declared missing during the Korea War, and immediate repatriation of those already identified.

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today