Israeli expert relishes prospects of DPRK-USA summit

2/25/2019 - 3:26:37 PM

Dr. Alon Levkowitz, lecturer and coordinator of the Asian Studies Programme at Bar-Ilan University, Israel, has expressed an optimistic outlook for the DPRK-USA Hanoi Summit Vietnam taking place in Hanoi from February 27-28.

The DPRK-USA Hanoi Summit Vietnam will take place in Hanoi from February 27-28. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam was chosen to hold the second high-profile meeting between US President Donald Trump and DPRK leader Kim Jong-un as it ticks a lot of boxes, he told Vietnam News Agency’s correspondent in Israel.

Besides being a good friend to both the US and the DPRK, Vietnam is a short distance from Pyongyang for Kim, while Hanoi and Washington are now close partners despite past confrontations, he said.

He described the first summit between the two sides in Singapore as significant for the second event as they reached a consensus on several issues, like the DPRK halting nuclear tests on the Korean Peninsula and the US pausing joint military exercises with the Republic of Korea.

The second meeting is on the right track; however, it needs specific outcomes, he underlined, explaining that Pyongyang should show Washington it is crucial to continue negotiations to bring peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Levkowitz cast doubts on the breakthroughs of the outcomes if both sides focus only on what they want. The US expects the DPRK to slow down its nuclear weapon programme while the latter wants the American nation to remove economic sanctions.

Source: VNA

Removing “bottlenecks” in global problems

The Foreign Ministers’ Meeting of the world’s leading developed and emerging economies (G20) recently held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil emphasised the need to reform global governance institutions, especially the United Nations Security Council. The meeting is also an opportunity for G20 to find solutions to a series of hot issues facing the world, such as poverty, climate change, and conflict.

ASEAN FMs issue statement on maintaining, promoting stability in maritime sphere in Southeast Asia

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers on December 30 issued a statement on maintaining and promoting stability in the maritime sphere in Southeast Asia.

Optimistic signals of the world economy

The world economy has overcome a challenging year, but has proven more resilient than expected. The Financial Times (UK) commented that 2023 was a positive year for the world economy as the economic surprise index collated by Citigroup shew that actual data have underwhelmed economists’ predictions for much of the past months. These economic trends are the basis for optimism about the world economy in 2024.