Vietnam, “special catalyst” of DPRK-USA negotiation process

Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Ha Kim Ngoc (L) in an interview with a VOV correspondent in Washington.

The statement was made by Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Ha Kim Ngoc in a recent interview granted to a Radio Voice of Vietnam (VOV) correspondent in Washington.

He said the event is seen as one the most concerned events of the international media.

“Vietnam has met all requirements for security, traveling, hospitality, and capability of hosting an international event. But other regional countries are also capable to meet these requirements by the US and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. So, why have they chosen Hanoi, a city of peace and the capital city of Vietnam? Because Vietnam is a “special catalyst” of the negotiation process between Pyongyang and Washington.

In a nutshell, Vietnam is a symbol of desire for peace and reconciliation, a shift from confrontation to dialogue, from mutual mistrust to building trust, and from former foes to partners.”

The Vietnamese diplomat said Vietnam desires to extend a message of leaving the past behind, overcome differences, and looking forward to the future.

Meanwhile, several Republic of Korean scholars have voiced their optimism about the upcoming second summit in Hanoi next week.

Professor, Doctor Lee Woong-hyeon, President of the Korean Geopolitical Research Institute, said the two sides may reach agreement in certain part of issues: the DPRK may launch a non-nuclear timetable and the US may remove its economic sanctions against Pyongyang.

He forecast that they might issue a political statement ending the Korean War (1950-1953), but it’s not a legal statement.

At the 1st DPRK-USA summit last June in Singapore, Pyongyang agreed on complete denuclearization in exchange for US security guarantees.

They concurred to establish new relationships and build stable and long-term peace in the Korean Peninsula. Dr. Tae Ik-chung, former Secretary of the President for National Security , said he hopes the US and DPRK will reach a specific agreement at their 2nd summit in Hanoi.

The event is expected to pave the way for easing sanctions against Pyongyang, develop inter-Korean relations, and maintain peace in the Korean Peninsula and the wider world, he added.