Australian cricket players arrive at the airport in Chennai on Thursday. (PTI)In a first-ever meeting between leaders of the United States and North Korea, Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un signed a comprehensive document pledging to work toward complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, creating history. Both the countries have agreed to joint effort to build a stable and peaceful regime, while Washington has also committed to provide security guarantees to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).
The historic document also said the two sides have agreed to recover the remains of Prisoners of War and those missing in action and repatriating them. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and North Korean officials would hold follow-up negotiations “at the earliest possible date”, the statement said.
Decided to leave the past behind: Kim Jong Un
The commitment from both the leaders came at a time when the entire world was watching them keenly as they conducted their historic summit in Singapore. “We’re signing a very comprehensive document, and we’ve had a really great time together, a great relationship,” Trump said while signing the document along with Kim in the presence of media at the end of the summit – the first between a sitting US president and North Korea’s top leader.
[ie_backquote quote=”We’re signing a very comprehensive document, and we’ve had a really great time together, a great relationship.” cite=”Donald Trump”]
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“We have decided to leave the past behind,” Kim said through a translator, at the signing table. “The world will see a major change,” he added.
“People are going to be very impressed and people are going to be very happy and we are going to take care of a very dangerous problem for the world,” Trump said. Calling Kim a “very worthy, very hard negotiator,” and someone who “loves his country very much,” Trump he had formed a “very special bond” with Kim and that relationship with North Korea would be very different.
The historic Trump-Kim handshake, smiles and walk
The exchange of pleasantries followed a series of meetings held today in Singapore. The meeting, that seemed impossible a few months ago, marks a dramatic shift in relations between Trump and Kim Jong, who traded insults and threats of war till early this year.
Both the leaders met this morning at the Capella Hotel, a secluded luxury resort on Singapore’s Sentosa Island. After a handshake that lasted for 13 seconds, both Trump and Kim remained hopeful of the Summit. Both also posed for the camera briefly after which Trump guided Kim Jong to a close door one-on-one summit. “Nice to meet you Mr President,” were Kim’s first words, to which Trump responded, “It’s my honour and we will have a terrific relationship, I have no doubt.”
What the joint text signed between Trump and Kim covered?
The document signed between the two countries can be broken into four major points:
- The United States and the DPRK commit to establish new U.S.-DPRK relations in accordance with the desire of the peoples of the two countries for peace and prosperity.
- The United States and the DPRK will join their efforts to build a lasting and stable peace regime on the Korean Peninsula.
- Reaffirming the April 27, 2018 Panmunjom Declaration, the DPRK commits to work towards complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
- The United States and the DPRK commit to recovering POW/MIA remains, including the immediate repatriation of those already identified.
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