Two of the planet's most troubled hot spots are sending envoys to have their say before the world on Saturday.
North Korea and Syria, places of international concern that spill trouble beyond national borders, are to appear before the U.N. General Assembly at a time when both countries could be on the cusp of significant developments.
Trump and his secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, are trying to regain momentum more than three months after the Singapore summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un, and are pushing for a second meeting in their quest to get Pyongyang to renounce its nuclear ambitions. Syria could be on the verge of emerging from seven years of bloody conflict that included the use of chemical weapons.
Pompeo is planning to visit Pyongyang next month to prepare for a second Kim-Trump summit. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has also said this week that he wants to meet with Kim. Still, there is widespread skepticism that Kim will actually relinquish an arsenal that Pyongyang likely sees as the only way to guarantee the Kim dynasty's continued authoritarian rule.
In a wide-ranging news conference at the U.N. on Wednesday, Trump said he was optimistic Kim wants to get a deal done because of their close ties.
"We have a very good relationship. He likes me, I like him, we get along," Trump said. "He wants to make a deal and I'd like to make a deal."
On Wednesday, Pompeo met with North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho on the sidelines of the General Assembly. Pompeo said on Twitter that his meeting with Ri was "very positive," but did not give any details.
Syria's foreign minister, Walid al-Moallem, will take the podium with his government firmly in control of most of the territory the opposition held for many of the seven years of the conflict.
A military offensive by Assad's forces on Idlib, the last remaining rebel-held region was averted last week in a deal reached between Russia and Turkey to set up a demilitarized zone along the western, southern and eastern edges of the province.
In his speech before the Security Council Wednesday, Trump warned Assad against a far-reaching offensive on the northeastern region. "I hope the restraint continues. The world is watching."
More than 400,000 people have died in seven years of civil war, according to the UN's envoy, Staffan de Mistura.
Associated Press writer Amir Bibawy contributed.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised another test firing of a new multiple rocket launch system the country plans to deploy to its forces starting this year, state media said Saturday, part of its move to bolster its lineup of weapons targeting South Korean population centers.
North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said Friday’s test confirmed the “advantage and destructive power” of the 240-millimeter multiple rocket launcher and its guided shells. The agency said the system, which the North already tested twice this year, will be deployed to combat units from 2024 to 2026 to replace older weapons.
North Korea in recent months has maintained an accelerated pace in weapons testing as it expands its military capabilities while diplomacy with the United States and South Korea remains stalled. Experts say Kim’s goal is to eventually pressure the United States into accepting the idea of the North as a nuclear power and negotiating economic and security concessions from a position of strength.
North Korea has focused on artillery systems in recent weeks. Its testing activities included salvo launches of 600-mm multiple rocket launchers in April that state media described as a simulated nuclear counterattack against enemy targets.
The North also this year conducted various cruise missile tests and flight-tested what it described as a solid-fuel intermediate range missile with hypersonic warhead capabilities. Experts say it is designed to reach remote U.S. targets in the Pacific, including the military hub of Guam.
Following Friday’s test, Kim issued instructions to maximize the production of the 240-mm multiple rocket launchers and their guided shells, which he said would bring a “significant change” to the combat capabilities of his forces, the North Korean news agency said.
While North Korean artillery systems are designed to target South Korea’s capital area, which is home to half of that country’s 51 million people, South Korean military officials also suspect the North's recent tests are aimed at examining weapons it plans to export to Russia.
U.S. and South Korean officials have accused the North of providing artillery shells, missiles and other military equipment to Russia to help extend its warfighting in Ukraine.
Kim in recent months has attempted to boost the visibility of his ties with Moscow and Beijing as he tries to break out of diplomatic isolation and insert himself into a united front against Washington.
This photo provided by the North Korean government shows a test firing of a new multiple rocket launch system at an undisclosed place in North Korea on May 10, 2024. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)
In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, supervises a test firing of a new multiple rocket launch system at an undisclosed place in North Korea on May 10, 2024. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)
