NEW YORK: President Donald Trump said on Thursday he expects a letter from Kim Jong Un confirming plans for their historic nuclear summit, as their top envoys thrashed out details at New York talks.

As Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held talks in a New York apartment with the North Korean leader’s right-hand man, Kim Yong Chol, back in Washington Trump expressed optimism. “I look forward to seeing what’s in the letter,” Trump said, adding that Pompeo’s high-stakes diplomatic encounter, which began over dinner on Wednesday, appeared to be going “very well.” “They will probably be coming to Washington DC on Friday to deliver the letter so I look forward to that,” he said.

Neither Kim nor Pompeo acknowledged questions from reporters as they met in a senior US diplomat’s apartment in the Corinthian, a luxury high-rise condo with a dramatic view over UN headquarters and mid-town Manhattan.

But, after their morning of discussions, Pompeo tweeted: “Substantive talks with the team from #NorthKorea. We discussed our priorities for the potential summit between our leaders.” Pompeo was due to hold a news conference, and a North Korean official said the delegation was making a decision on when to head to Washington.

Washington has demanded that the North agree to a “complete, verifiable and irreversible” end to Pyongyang’s nuclear program, which is close to the point where it could threaten US cities with missile strikes.

Pyongyang is seeking international recognition and security guarantees and it is far from clear whether its own vision of the “denuclearisation” of the Korean peninsula can be brought in line with Washington’s.

Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2018