UN welcomes Xi-Kim meet, hopes for sustainable peace

March 29, 2018 00:09

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres expressed hope today over the meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping, saying such steps will help lead towards the peaceful denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.

Bracing for an unprecedented meeting with US President Donald Trump, North Korea's reclusive dictator Kim made the secret trip to Beijing to seek Xi's backing while pledging support for denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

After a day-long silence, China today acknowledged Kim's visit apparently after his bullet proof green and yellow train, by which he travelled, left China's borders and entered North Korea.

Guterres's deputy spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters that "the Secretary General welcomes any steps that could lead towards the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. And will do so in this case".

Haq was asked about the Secretary General's response to the crucial meeting between the Xi and Kim.

Haq said the Secretary General "very much hopes" that all of the recent positive signals will help lead towards the peaceful denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.

"Ultimately we want to make sure that all of these steps can lead to a sustainable peace and the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula" in line with the UN Security Council resolutions, he said.

Kim paid a four-day "unofficial visit" to Beijing from Sunday to Wednesday - his first journey abroad since taking power in 2011 and his first reported meeting with a foreign head of state -- at the invitation of Xi, state-run Xinhua news agency reported in Beijing.

« Back to LIVE

TOP STORIES

Meet Baldev Kumar from Punjab, first outsider to contest J-K LS polls

The abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019 paved the way for outsiders to contest polls in the Union Territory.

IPL PIX: Rahul, de Kock power LSG to easy win over CSK

Openers KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock hit fifties as LSG trounced CSK by eight wickets.

Phase 1 sees nearly 63% polling amid stray incidents of violence

"The voting percentage is likely to go upwards when reports from all polling stations are obtained as polling is scheduled till 6 pm in many constituencies. Final figures will be known on Saturday after the scrutiny of form 17A," the EC...

Manipur records 68% polling marred by violence, firing, booth capturing

At Thamnapokpi under Moirang constituency in Bishnupur district, armed men fired several rounds in the air near a polling booth prompting voters to flee, police said on Friday, adding additional security personnel were rushed to the spot...

Air India to soon have new crew management system

Air India will soon have a new crew management system that will help strengthen rostering rules and enable faster recovery from scheduled disruptions. In a message to the staff on Friday, Air India CEO and MD Campbell Wilson said that...