Politics & Law
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PM attends inauguration of upgraded statue of President Hồ Chí Minh in Santo Domingo
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| Donald Trump made no comment to reporters on Air Force One but had previously tweeted his hopes for a ’very productive’ meeting in Hà Nội.—AFP Photo |
Viet Nam News
HÀ NỘI — US President Donald Trump will meet DPRK leader Kim Jong Un on Wednesday in Hà Nội.
Trump touched down late Tuesday on Air Force One after flying half way around the world from Washington, while Kim arrived earlier, following a two-and-a-half-day train journey from Pyongyang.
On completing their marathon trips, the protagonists of international diplomacy’s most surprising bromance were treated to joyful welcomes from crowds of excited, flag-waving onlookers across the Vietnamese capital.
Starting with a brief conversation followed by dinner Wednesday, then in more talks Thursday, Trump and Kim aim to build on their startling initial meeting in Singapore last June.
While that first summit ended with a vague statement promising to work "towards complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula", they have since disagreed on what that means, and this time Trump in particular faces pressure to deliver concrete results.
On the plus side, there has been more than a year without North Korea rattling its neighbours with rocket and nuclear tests.
- Good vibes -
"Thank you to all of the people for the great reception in Hà Nội. Tremendous crowds, and so much love!" Trump tweeted after reaching his Hà Nội hotel from the airport.
Earlier, Kim got a similar reception from excited locals when he visited the North Korean embassy under heavy security.
"Trump is someone who has a strong character. His words are followed by actions," said one admiring Hanoi resident, Lê Đình Hùng, who carried a painting of Trump that he wanted to give him.
The US president will be hoping he can carry those good vibes into the summit.
And in the run-up to the summit, he suggested that if the North gave up its weapons, it could be transformed from an isolated fortress state to an Asian economic tiger -- much like Việt Nam.
"With complete Denuclearisation, North Korea will rapidly become an Economic Powerhouse," tweeted Trump. — AFP
