Pompeo calls for N. Korea sanctions implementation in talks with Russia
WASHINGTON: United States (US) Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday he emphasised the need to maintain sanctions on North Korea in talks with his Russian counterpart, Yonhap news agency reported.
Pompeo met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Sochi to discuss cooperation on various issues, including Iran, Venezuela and North Korea.
At a joint press conference after the meeting, Pompeo said the two countries agree on the goal of North Korea's denuclearisation and will continue to discuss it.
“I underscored that we must maintain full implementation of the UN (United Nations) sanctions until the final, fully verified denuclearisation of North Korea is achieved.”Our two teams have been working very closely together on this in a very productive fashion,” he said.
The US and Russia have demonstrated gaps in their view of how denuclearisation should be achieved, with Washington insisting on continued pressure and Moscow advocating an easing of UN sanctions in exchange for denuclearisation steps.
Lavrov said Russia is “promoting dialogue” between Washington and Pyongyang and is “prepared to support such a dialogue.”
But he noted that North Korea expects concessions from the US.
“Naturally we highlighted that the leadership of DPRK (North Korea) expects certain guarantees of security of their country reciprocated by denuclearisation, and that denuclearisation should be expanded over the whole of the Korean Peninsula,” the minister said through an interpreter.
North Korea has expressed its commitment to the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, not just the North, apparently seeking the removal of the US nuclear umbrella over South Korea. — Bernama