Japanese expert predicts outcomes from second DPRK-USA Summit

Hanoi (VNA) – The upcoming DPRK-USA Hanoi Summit Vietnam looks likely to produce outcomes of a certain level, predicted Prof. Yoshiki Mine, President of Japan’s Institute for Peaceful Diplomacy.

The East Asian diplomacy expert, in an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency’s correspondent in Japan, said that the DPRK and the US have widely different viewpoints and approaches heading into the meeting.

The US has asked for verifiable denuclearisation measures, while the DPRK wants multi-step solutions and does not agree with such immediate measures, he noted, holding that this is a major distinction.

Therefore, the second meeting between the DPRK and US leaders, taking place in Hanoi on February 27-28, will either reach an agreement on step-to-step solutions or come to a deal on comprehensive and verifiable denuclearisation, said Prof. Yoshiki Mine.

Meanwhile, he asserted that the summit may pose more risk to President Trump as if the meeting is not fruitful, he will face a difficult situation at home where public opinion will raise questions on the significance of the meeting.

Regarding the possibility that the US will remove sanctions on the DPRK, the Japanese expert held that there is no chance of the removal happening.

He said that to the US, sanction measures are necessary and important to complete the target of realising the denuclearisation process. Therefore, Washington will not easily loosen the measures, stated Prof. Yoshiki Mine.

Commenting on Vietnam as the host of the second DPRK-USA Summit, the expert said that the Vietnamese economy is developing strongly and that DPRK leader Kim Jong-un is greatly interested in socio-economic development. –VNA