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Two Korean Leaders to Meet In Pyongyang
South Korean high ranking officials met Kim Jong un Wednesday
In a major development, leaders of North and South Korea have agreed to meet from September 18 to 20 in Pyongyang to discuss “practical measures” towards denuclearisation. This would be their third summit in six months time.
According to Seoul based The Korea Times, National Security Office head Eni-yong told reporters at Cheong Wa Dae, the presidential palace, “During the three-day meeting, the leaders of the two Koreas will discuss ways to improve inter-Korean relations and achieve denuclearization such as the North’s possible concessions to hand over a list of its nuclear arsenal.”
The daily further reports that the announcement came a day after a group of South Korean President Moon’s five envoys led by Chung, returned from Pyongyang, where they met the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and delivered President Moon’s letter. The envoys also delivered messages from US to North Korean side, Chung said.
Read More: Inter-Korean Summit To Be Held In Pyongyang in September
North Korean official news agency KCNA watch reports that Kim Jong Un received the members of the special envoy delegation of the South Korean President Moon Jae In who visited Pyongyang on Wednesday at the headquarters of the WPK Central Committee.
According to North Korea’s state news agency KCNA, the North Korean leader reportedly said, during his meeting with South Korean envoys, that it was his country’s “fixed stand and his will to completely remove the danger of armed conflict and horror of war from the Korean Peninsula and turn it into a cradle of peace without nuclear weapons and free from nuclear threat”.
The visit by the South Korean envoys delegation to Pyongyang came amid a deadlock on the North’s nuclear weapons programme, with US efforts to dismantle the arsenal stalled for weeks.
Read More: North and South come closer on Korean Peninsula
During the June 12 summit in Singapore, US President Donald Trump his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong un vowed to work towards the “complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula”, but their agreement was short on details on what that meant and how it would be achieved.
Having no progress in denuclearization process, US President Donald Trump cancelled Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s trip to Pyongyang after the North reportedly sent a belligerent letter to the US president last month.
However, Kim told the South Korean officials on Wednesday that his faith in Trump remains “unchanged” and he wanted to denuclearise and end long-standing hostile relations between North Korea and the US during Trump’s first term ending early 2021.
Kim’s remarks to South Korean officials mark the first time that the North Korean leader has offered a potential timeline for dismantling his country’s nuclear weapons programme.
Read More: North and South Korean leaders to hold summit on April 27
South Korean senior official was quoted saying, “Chairman Kim asked us to convey the message to the US that the US [should] help create situations where he would feel his decision to denuclearise was a right move”.
North and South Korea remain technically at war as the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a ceasefire. The Korean conflict is based on the division between two Koreas, both of which claim to be the government of the entire peninsula
During the Cold War, North Korea was backed by the then Soviet Union, China and other communist states while South Korea was backed by the US and its capitalist allies. The division of Korea by external powers occurred at the end of World War II in 1945, and tensions erupted into the Korean War, a civil war, in 1950. When the war ended, the country was devastated, but the division remained. North and South Korea continued a military standoff, with periodic clashes.
The U.S. maintains a military presence in South Korea under a mutual defense treaty. In 1997, U.S. President Bill Clinton described the division of Korea as the “Cold War’s last divide”. In 2002, U.S. President George W. Bush described North Korea as a member of an “axis of evil”. Facing increasing isolation, North Korea developed missile and nuclear capabilities.
In April 2018, North and South Korea signed the Panmunjom Declaration, announcing a commitment to denuclearization and a peace treaty to officially end the Korean War. In June, Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump met in Singapore and affirmed the same commitment.
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Hardeep Nijjar killing row: Canada’s defence minister says ties with India important
The Defence Minister further mentioned that if the allegations are proven true, there is a very significant concern that Canada will have with respect to the violation of our sovereignty.
Canada’s defence minister Bill Blair said that his country’s ties with India are important. HIs statement amidst a diplomatic standoff between both the countries. However, he also added that his country wants a thorough investigation into the allegation.
The escalating tensions between both the countries began after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asserted that his country’s security agencies were investigating a link between the Indian government and the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Defence Minister Bill Blair noted that they understand this can be, and has proven to be, a challenging issue with respect to their relationship with India. However, at the same time, they have the responsibility to make sure that they carry out a thorough investigation and get to the truth, he added.
The Defence Minister further mentioned that if the allegations are proven true, there is a very significant concern that Canada will have with respect to the violation of our sovereignty. On the other hand, India rejected the allegation as absurd and motivated.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs remarked that Canada has shared no specific information regarding its charges, flagging politically condoned hate crimes and criminal violence in that country. Furthermore, the foreign ministry has advised its nationals in Canada and those contemplating travelling there to exercise utmost caution.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also claimed that such credible allegations were shared with India weeks ago. He added that they want to work constructively with India and hope that New Delhi engages with them so that they can get to the bottom of this very serious matter.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, said that Washington is deeply concerned about the allegations and that they want to see accountability in the case.
Khalistani terrorist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Canada’s British Columbia in June. He was chief of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force and reportedly one of India’s most wanted terrorists.
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National Daughters Day 2023: History, significance, theme and wishes
The purpose of National Daughter’s Day is to serve as a reminder that girls should be given equal chances, including access to education, practical life skills, and sports participation, among others.
In India, Daughter’s Day is observed on the final Sunday in September, which falls on September 24, 2023. India is the only big nation with a higher mortality rate for females than boys, according to UNICEF.
At birth, there are 900 females for every 1000 boys in the nation. In the world, boys are 7% more likely than girls to die before the age of five. In India, though, the figures are dismal, with 11% more girls dying before turning five.
Given these troubling numbers, it is crucial to invest in the wellbeing of girls in order to empower them. The purpose of National Daughter’s Day is to serve as a reminder that girls should be given equal chances, including access to education, practical life skills, and sports participation, among others.
The first National Daughters Day was observed in India in 2007, which is where the holiday’s origins can be found. Daughters have frequently been overlooked in a society where males have long been regarded with awe. The noble goal of this day is to inspire parents to show their admiration for their daughters.
In certain cultures, having daughters has been seen as more of a burden than a blessing. With the goal of reversing this perception, National Daughter’s Day exhorts parents to acknowledge the extraordinary gift that their daughters are.
The significance of National Daughters Day can be found in our ever-changing society. It’s a day set aside to gleefully acknowledge the daughters in our lives. Falling on a Sunday presents a chance for parents and daughters to spend quality time together, cherish one another, and have intimate life-related dialogues. It’s a day for giving, caring, and fostering the cherished relationship between mothers and daughters.
Wishes
- Daughters are special and highly valued, which demonstrates that they were sent from heaven above
- Daughters are special; once we have them, we can never live without them. Happy Daughters’ Day!
- Daughters are the pride of their parents’ hearts; from birth, they are beautiful
- My darling daughter, my baby you will always be, no matter where you are. You are a little part of me, whether near or far. Happy Daughters’ Day!
- Daughters will soon be married and grown, then they may start a family of their own
Latest world news
Canadian PM Trudeau wants to work constructively with India, says Canada shared credible allegations with New Delhi weeks ago
India has repeatedly denied claims of receiving any intel regarding the allegations from Canada before Justin Trudeau’s announcement on Monday revealing them.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday asserted that Canada shared credible allegations that the Indian government may have been involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar weeks ago, according to reports.
The Canadian Prime MInister added that his country wants to work constructively with India and hope that New Delhi engages with them so that they can get to the bottom of this very serious matter. Meanwhile, India has repeatedly denied claims of receiving any intel regarding the allegations from Canada before Justin Trudeau’s announcement on Monday revealing them.
On Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that there was a potential link between an Indian government agent and the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the chief of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force, who was gunned down in Surrey in June. Justin Trudeau made the allegations in the Canadian Parliament.
India has debunked Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s statement deeming the allegations of the Government of India’s involvement in any act of violence in Canada as both absurd and motivated. Issuing a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that they have seen and rejected the statement made by the Canadian Prime Minister in their Parliament. It added that they also rejected the statement made by their Foreign Minister.
After the allegations by PM Trudeau, the Canadian government expelled a top Indian diplomat. In a tit for tat move, New Delhi also expelled a Canadian diplomat. The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi also claimed that the Indian High Commission and consulates are facing security threats in Canada and therefore cannot process visa applications temporarily.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar was among India’s most-wanted terrorists, carrying a reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head. He was fatally gunned down by two unidentified assailants outside a gurdwara in Surrey, a province of British Columbia in Canada, on June 18, according to reports.
