\'The world trusts us\': Vietnamese proud to host Trump-Kim summit

'The world trusts us': Vietnamese proud to host Trump-Kim summit

AFP  |  Hanoi 

Vietnamese young and old expressed their delight Wednesday after hearing their country had been chosen for the second face-to-face meeting between US and North Korean leader Un.

The communist-run Southeast Asian country was announced during Trump's address as the location for the high-profile summit due to take place later this month.

It follows the pair's historic handshake and brief declaration on denuclearisation at their inaugural meeting in in June last year.

The pick brings prestige to the former US foe-turned-ally and is symbolic for Vietnamese of a certain generation, who welcomed the move.

"Our country now has a new position and the world trusts us," Pham Van Thau, an 82-year-old member, told AFP in

"The summit will help the world understand more about "

The precise location for the summit -- to be held on February 27 and 28 -- has not been announced, though both the capital and beach resort town Danang have been rumoured.

Nguyen Hong Nhung, a masters student, hoped the summit could expand her country's budding tourism industry.

"We have a chance... to show everyone that is a beautiful country and that the Vietnamese are friendly," she said.

Analysts say the trip, which is set to be Kim's first to Vietnam, could offer the North Korean leader a model of post-war economic transformation under a communist state with capitalist leanings.

Nhung agreed: "I think now is like before the US embargo was lifted, poor and economically limited."

On and other social media platforms, users beamed with pride at the prospect of the summit.

Commenters on one site said Kim could even take inspiration from the country's north and south reunifying after the war.

"They meet in Vietnam so that Kim can see how the two parts of a country will look like after reunification," commented on otofun.net.

Vietnam is looking to follow up on its successful hosting of the (APEC) summit in 2017 and the regional last year -- boosting its diplomatic gravitas on the global stage.

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

First Published: Wed, February 06 2019. 20:00 IST