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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 10 april 2018

Kim Jong Un briefs party leaders on future dialogue with U.S.

By ERIC TALMADGE “prospect of the DPRK-U.S.
Associated Press dialogue and set forth the
TOKYO (AP) — North Ko- strategic and tactical is-
rean leader Kim Jong Un sues” to be maintained by
briefed top ruling party offi- the party.
cials on his vision for the fu- Though the report did not
ture direction of dialogue explicitly mention plans
with the United States and for the summit with Trump,
his upcoming summit with it was the most concrete
South Korea’s president, suggestion to date that
the North’s official media Pyongyang is preparing for
reported Tuesday. what would be the first-ev-
Kim gave his “profound er summit between a North
analysis and appraisal” Korean leader and a sitting
of the prospects for North U.S. president.
Korea-U.S. dialogue at a Trump said Monday their
meeting of the Politburo of meeting might be in late
the ruling party’s Central May or even in June. The
Committee, the Korean location has yet to be an-
Central News Agency re- nounced.
ported. The meeting was The main issue at the sum-
held on Monday. mit will be North Korea’s
The KCNA report did not In this April 9, 2018, photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim nuclear program.
specifically mention plans Jong Un attends a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party Speaking at the White
for Kim to hold a sum- of Korea, in Pyongyang, North Korea. House on Monday, Trump
mit with President Donald Associated Press expressed hope that a
Trump, expected in May ally convenes once a year According to the KCNA re- his analysis on the situation deal to get Pyongyang
or June, but it suggests to approve the national port, the party leaders who on the Korean Peninsula to denuclearize might be
Pyongyang is actively pre- budget and other policy met Monday approved a and mentioned the North- made. Administration of-
paring for the meeting and and personnel issues that budget for this year that will South summit, which will be ficials say the North has
is ready to let North Kore- have already been decid- be presented to the parlia- held on the south side of communicated that Kim is
ans know big events may ed on by Kim and the party ment. the DMZ on April 27. ready to discuss his nuclear
be ahead. leadership. It said Kim outlined in detail He then discussed the weapons program.q
The North’s official media
has thus far made virtually
no mention of the series of Azerbaijan’s incumbent president set up for easy re-election
stunning diplomatic over-
tures Kim has made to- By AIDA SULTANOVA and the race, leaving seven nation where memories of terests and to counterbal-
ward Seoul and Washing- VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV token challengers. Opinion the chaos and turmoil that ance Russia’s influence
ton since January, though Associated Press surveys have put support accompanied the 1991 in the strategic Caspian
it did trumpet Kim’s visit to BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — for the incumbent at over breakup of the Soviet Union region. At the same time,
Beijing last month to meet Voters in the oil-rich Cas- 80 percent. Aliyev, 56, has are still fresh. The presiden- his government has long
with Chinese leader Xi Jin- pian Sea nation of Azerbai- led Azerbaijan since 2003. tial election that had been faced criticism in the West
ping. jan are set to cast ballots He succeeded his father, due in the fall was moved for alleged human rights
That was the first time Kim in a snap presidential elec- Geidar Aliyev, who ruled up to April. Officials said the abuses and suppression of
has left the North since as- tion Wednesday that is all Azerbaijan first as Commu- move was made because dissent. The opposition has
suming power in 2011 and but certain to extend the nist Party boss and then as the country would be busy denounced the election as
was also his first meeting rule of the country’s long- a post-Soviet president for with various high-profile lacking a viable challeng-
with another head of state. serving leader by another the greater part of three events at the end of 2018. er. Most of the seven can-
North Korea’s parliament, seven years. decades. Like his father Aliyev has allied the ma- didates seeking to unseat
called the Supreme Peo- President Ilham Aliyev is ex- before him, the son has jority Shia Muslim nation of Aliyev ran for president in
ple’s Assembly, is sched- pected to win the vote by cast himself as a custodian almost 10 million with the the past but never pulled in
uled to convene Wednes- a landslide. Leading op- of stability, an image that West, helping to protect more than 2 percent of the
day. The assembly gener- position parties boycotted resonates with many in a its energy and security in- vote.q