North Korea and USA will re-initiate the nuclear diplomacy talks

United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reportedly said on October 5 that teams from North Korea and the United States have arrived in Stockholm to start the discussions on Pyongyang's nuclear programme. Pompeo who is currently in Greece while completing his European tour, further said that the progress yielded by the talks scheduled for the weekend is still unpredictable. The meeting can also involve another session involving President Trump and Kim Jong Un. 

“We hope that the North Koreans came with spirit and willingness to move forward to implement what President Trump and Chairman Kim agreed to back in Singapore” last year, said Pompeo in Athens. 

 

The meeting 

According to a Swedish news agency, the talks are set to happen at the Villa Elfvik Strand conference facility in Lindingo. An island in the Swedish capital's archipelago located in the northeast. Purportedly, Kim Myong Gil, the chief negotiator of North Korea arrived a day before Stephen Biegun, the US Special Representative for North Korea who arrived yesterday. Pompeo also acknowledged that this will be the first time, both parties are getting a chance to have a discussion.

Read - US: Mike Pompeo Defends Trump Administration During Impeachment Row

“We’re mindful that this will be the first time we have had a chance to have a discussion in quite some time and that there remains a lot of work that will have to done by the two teams,” Pompeo said. 

He added that Washington hoped the meeting in Sweden would lead to “a set of dialogues that could take place in the coming weeks and months that will really deliver on the commitments that were made in Singapore.” 

Read - Mike Pompeo In Montenegro As Trump Impeachment Inquiry Picks Up

Sweden as a 'bridge'

The Foreign Minister of Sweden, Ann Linde also confirmed the presence of delegations and said that this dialogue is essential in order to reach denuclearization and a harmonious solution. Sweden opened an embassy in Pyongyang in 1975 and was also the first Western country to do so. It is all one of the major contributors of humanitarian aid sent to North Korea. Due to the failure of official diplomatic relations of the US with North Korea, Sweden is known to act as a bridge between Washinton and Pyongyang. Recently, North Korea also launched an underwater missile on October 2, which reportedly fell inside the exclusive zone of Japan. 

Read - EAM S Jaishankar Meets Mike Pompeo Amid Advanced Trade Discussions

Read - Uighurs In China Need Attention From Asian Nations, Says Mike Pompeo

(With AP inputs)