Trump, Kim to meet one-on-one at second summit

WASHINGTON, Feb 21 (KUNA) -- President Donald Trump and North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un will meet one-on-one during their second summit in Hanoi, Vietnam on the 27th and 28th of next week, a Senior Administration official told reporters during a background briefing Thursday.
"There will be opportunities for the two leaders to see one another one-on-one, to share a meal and indeed to expanded meetings of their respective delegationsآ…the objectives it is ultimately about denuclearization of North Korea. That is what was agreed already between the two sides and that is the overriding goal that President Trump is seeking," the official said.
Officials have already arrived in Hanoii this week to begin negotiations to "close the gaps" on various issues. They hope to "move forward" with the four pillars of the joint statement from the first summit in Singapore last summer.
"President Trump is looking to after really in some respects breaking the ice with Kim in June, to talk in more depth about the kind of futures that North Korea could enjoy if it follows through on its commitment to final and full denuclearization," the official said.
In an interview with NBC on Thursday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo commented, "We've been negotiating hardآ…I am very hopeful. I am hopeful that Chairman Kim will fulfill the promises that he made in Singapore in June of last year." He highlighted that North Korea hasn't "conducted missile tests or nuclear tests in now well over a year, so that's better than the place that we found it when the Trump administration came into office." (end) ak.sd