Prof Leon Sigal, Director of the Northeast Asia Cooperative Security Project under the US’s Social Science Research Council (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – US experts shared their comments on the outcomes of thesecond summit between US President Donald Trump and Democratic People’sRepublic of Korea (DPRK) leader Kim Jong-un, which ended in Hanoi on February28 without any agreement signed.
According to Prof Leon Sigal, Director of theNortheast Asia Cooperative Security Project under the US’s Social ScienceResearch Council, the negotiating issue was how sanctions couldbe relaxed in return for steps toward denuclearisation by the DPRK.
“It was also clear from the discussion at thepress conference hosted by President Trump that just because they didn’t agreethis time, that doesn’t mean talks are over. I think that’s important becauseit seems to me this is quite negotiable”.
Regarding other things that were mentioned atthe press conference, Sigal said the two sides have the basis for agreementhere but the critical thing is if the US version is correct the DPRKoverreached by wanting to end all the sanctions.
On the other hand, to ask for the sanctionsto be eliminated at this point is too big a step given what the DPRK people areprepared to do on the denulearisation side.
“So I think it’s well worth everybody’s while to get back negotiating” he said,adding that “It is time to get over the summit”.
“It struck me that the President was keeping the door open,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, Jenny Town, a research analystfrom the Stimson Center, said it is surprising that they didn’t come away witha preliminary deal, as they clearly had the outline for one going into thefinal round of pre-summit negotiations.
“But it seems both sides still wanted more than what the other was willingto accept. Taking more time to negotiate is not a bad development, but walkingaway from the summit with nothing is likely to have a deflating effect on theprocess as a whole,” she said.
According to her, for all the stakeholders in thisprocess, the lack of movement on the DPRK-US agenda puts the Republic of Koreain a very awkward position, unable to secure the sanctions exemptions they werehoping for as part of this deal, which would facilitate the resumption ofinter-Korean economic cooperation.-VNA
According to Prof Leon Sigal, Director of theNortheast Asia Cooperative Security Project under the US’s Social ScienceResearch Council, the negotiating issue was how sanctions couldbe relaxed in return for steps toward denuclearisation by the DPRK.
“It was also clear from the discussion at thepress conference hosted by President Trump that just because they didn’t agreethis time, that doesn’t mean talks are over. I think that’s important becauseit seems to me this is quite negotiable”.
Regarding other things that were mentioned atthe press conference, Sigal said the two sides have the basis for agreementhere but the critical thing is if the US version is correct the DPRKoverreached by wanting to end all the sanctions.
On the other hand, to ask for the sanctionsto be eliminated at this point is too big a step given what the DPRK people areprepared to do on the denulearisation side.
“So I think it’s well worth everybody’s while to get back negotiating” he said,adding that “It is time to get over the summit”.
“It struck me that the President was keeping the door open,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, Jenny Town, a research analystfrom the Stimson Center, said it is surprising that they didn’t come away witha preliminary deal, as they clearly had the outline for one going into thefinal round of pre-summit negotiations.
“But it seems both sides still wanted more than what the other was willingto accept. Taking more time to negotiate is not a bad development, but walkingaway from the summit with nothing is likely to have a deflating effect on theprocess as a whole,” she said.
According to her, for all the stakeholders in thisprocess, the lack of movement on the DPRK-US agenda puts the Republic of Koreain a very awkward position, unable to secure the sanctions exemptions they werehoping for as part of this deal, which would facilitate the resumption ofinter-Korean economic cooperation.-VNA
VNA
