Visiting Iran, North Korean Foreign Minister sends message to the US?
(Baonghean.vn) - North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho's two-day visit to Iran just hours after the US officially reimposed sanctions on the Islamic Republic has raised doubts about Pyongyang's intentions, amid a deadlock in negotiations with Washington over the Northeast Asian nation's nuclear weapons program.
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| North Korean Foreign Minister and his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif met on August 7. Photo: Yonhap |
North Korean Foreign Minister Kim Jong Un and his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif met on August 7, the same day the US reimposed economic sanctions on Iran, following President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw the US from the multilateral nuclear deal in May.
Experts say that by strengthening relations with Iran, a country at odds with the US, Pyongyang is sending a message to Washington that it will not give in to the US pressure campaign.
“I think North Korea is trying to unite with Iran against the US, as both countries are under US sanctions,” said Professor Kim Hyun-wook of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy. “While North Korea does not hold many bargaining chips with the US, it appears to be diversifying its diplomatic partners and strengthening its alliance with them.”
Before arriving in Iran, Mr. Ri Yong-ho had diplomatic contacts with most Southeast Asian countries on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum last week. According to the IRNA news agency, these bilateral meetings were conducted at Mr. Ri Yong-ho's request.
Ri Yong-ho's visit to Iran also comes at a time when the US is increasing pressure on Pyongyang to force it to give up its nuclear weapons, after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un pledged to "complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" at a historic US-North Korea summit in June.
Despite a series of goodwill gestures between the countries, a new round of talks to discuss North Korea's commitment to denuclearization and the US's promise to provide security guarantees to the Northeast Asian nation has yet to take place.
On August 8, the North Korean Foreign Minister is said to have met with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani before returning home./.
