UN chief sees meaningful progress on talks for North Korea denuclearization

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, meet at the demarcation line separating the two Koreas before the start of their historic talks on April 27. (Korea Summit Press Pool via Reuters)

LONDON: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday said he was optimistic about the prospects for progress on the issue of North Korea’s nuclear program after recent diplomatic moves by Pyongyang, Seoul and Washington.
“I am optimistic ... I think now things are on track for a meaningful negotiation,” he said during an interview on BBC Radio 4.
“It’s in the interest of the North Koreans that have been dramatically impacted by the sanctions, it’s in the interest of South Korea that needs peace and security, it’s in the interest of China that was always against a nuclear North Korea but also wants a good security framework in the region, it’s in the interest of the United States because for the United States the de-nuclearization of the Korean peninsula has always been a main objective.”