Vietnam \'willing\' to host Trump-Kim summit: report

Vietnam 'willing' to host Trump-Kim summit: report

AFP  |  Hanoi 

Vietnam's has said his country is willing to host a much-anticipated second summit between US and North Korean leader

The second round of talks follow a historic summit in last year and are aimed at denuclearisation and ending decades of enmity between the two nations. has cropped up in the swirl of rumours and conjecture over a for the meeting, with the capital or the coastal city of seemingly the most likely bases for the summit.

On Thursday said he would be open to hosting it.

"We don't know the final decision. However, if it happens here we will do our best to facilitate the meeting," he said in an interview with TV.

"has cooperated well with the US in developing economic and trade relations, as well as in other areas." A source who wished to remain anonymous told AFP "logistical preparations" were under for a Trump-Kim summit although "no official decision" had been made.

"There is lots of work to be done, not only for but some other locations for the event. The Vietnamese side is ready to host... but it is not up to us to decide." Like several other Southeast Asian countries, maintains diplomatic ties with both communist-run and and is keen to host major global events as it tries to project a more confident global profile.

Communist Vietnam hosted a major meeting in the central city of last year attended by global leaders, including Trump. welcomed North Korean in November for a visit reportedly aimed at sharing lessons from its economic success story.

The foreign ministry told AFP that Vietnam "supports constructive efforts to solve disputes through peaceful dialogue... on the in particular," in a statement earlier this month.

Trump has said he is eager to meet with Kim again after their historic summit in June, the first ever meeting between two sitting leaders from two countries that never formally ended the 1950-53 Korean War.

The leaders agreed on a vaguely-worded statement in which Kim pledged to work towards "the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula".

But progress has since stalled with the two sides disagreeing over what that means.

Kim is hoping for an easing of international sanctions but the insists on maintaining maximum pressure until moves forward on giving up its nuclear weapons.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Fri, January 18 2019. 14:20 IST