Trump to Meet Kim Jong-un by May
Council on Foreign Relations Newsletter If you are unable to see the message below, click here to view. March 9, 2018 Daily News Brief TOP OF THE AGENDA Trump to Meet Kim Jong-un by May U.S. President Donald J. Trump has accepted an invitation by the North Korean leader to meet within the next two months (VOA), South Korea's national security advisor said in an announcement outside the White House yesterday. The South Korean envoy, Chung Eui-yong, said that Kim has told Seoul he is "committed" to denuclearization, will refrain from further weapons tests, and accepts U.S.-South Korea military drills (Korea Times). Beijing welcomed the move toward direct dialogue (Yonhap) between Washington and Pyongyang, calling it a "positive message." On Twitter, Trump called the announcement "great progress." ANALYSIS "Past denuclearization efforts have foundered on a combination of failures to secure verification and North Korean subterfuge, but have never gone so far in giving the Kim family the prestige or treating North Korea with the strategic weight that it has sought for decades," writes CFR's Scott A. Snyder. "In a head-snapping display of incoherence, Trump has agreed to meet Kim, giving the worst human-rights abuser on the planet what he most wants: international legitimacy," CFR's Max Boot writes for the Washington Post. "The Kim dynasty in Pyongyang also has a history of coming to the bargaining table dangling the prospect of concessions, only to walk away after extracting economic concessions," Jiyeun Lee and Hooyeon Kim write for Bloomberg. PACIFIC RIM UN Rights Chief Requests ICC Case in Myanmar The body's top human rights official called for the UN General Assembly to refer Myanmar to the International Criminal Court to probe suspected "acts of genocide" (Reuters) against the Rohingya ethnic minority. The CFR Backgrounder looks at the Rohingya refugee crisis. SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA Uzbek, Tajik Leaders Meet After Years of Tension Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev met with his Tajik counterpart, Emomali Rahmon, in a landmark visit to mend ties between the neighbors long at odds over Tashkent's role in the Tajik civil war and the presence of Uzbek militants in Tajikistan. Nine border crossings reopened on Thursday (RFE/RL). PAKISTAN: The foreign minister told lawmakers that Pakistani troops in Saudi Arabia are aiding with "internal security" in the kingdom and not participating in a Saudi-led campaign (Dawn) in Yemen. MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA Some Aid Enters Syrian Enclave, Strikes Ongoing A UN aid convoy delivered food and medical supplies (BBC) to the besieged opposition-held Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta on Friday amid a brief pause in government air strikes overnight. It is the first to reach the area since a partial delivery on Monday. IRAQ: Members of the Popular Mobilization Forces, a group of militias with ties to Iran, will be integrated into Iraq's security forces (Middle East Eye) and given monthly stipends following an order by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. Washington and Baghdad have been at odds over collaborating with the militias. SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Alleged Trump Remark in Past, AU Chief Says The chair of the African Union called an alleged profane comment (CBS) by U.S. President Trump in January to describe African countries "an incident of the past" as he met with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Addis Ababa on Thursday. MAURITIUS: Ministers agreed to begin impeachment proceedings (BBC) against Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, Africa's only sitting female president, over her alleged use of public funds for personal use. EUROPE Millions Strike for Workplace Equality in Spain Labor groups estimated that 5.3 million workers participated in a two-hour walkout (Guardian) in Spain on International Women's Day to protest gender discrimination, wage gaps, and sexual violence. CFR's Rachel Vogelstein and Anne Connell discuss women's economic participation around the globe. GEORGIA: The parliamentary chair endorsed a fast-track NATO membership proposal by a conservative U.S. think tank that would exclude the country's Russia-occupied regions (VOA) from the alliance's common defense guarantee. AMERICAS FARC Candidate Quits Colombian Presidential Race Rodrigo Londono, former commander of the demobilized Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), dropped out of the election, citing health reasons. Londono represented the FARC's new political party, which suspended campaigning last month (NYT) following attacks on several of its candidates. VENEZUELA: Henri Falcon, expelled by a major opposition coalition for running in an election it is boycotting, defended his decision to challenge President Nicolas Maduro (Miami Herald) by saying abstention "legitimizes and prolongs the life of dictators and bad governments." UNITED STATES Asia, Europe Condemn U.S. Tariffs The European Union said it should be exempted from new U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, given that the bloc is a close U.S. ally, while South Korea threatened to file a dispute (BBC) at the World Trade Organization. CFR's Benn Steil and Benjamin Della Rocca look at U.S. auto jobs that could be lost due to the tariffs. Andrew Veprek, a Foreign Service officer working in the White House and considered a hard-liner on immigration, has reportedly been selected to assume the top State Department position overseeing refugee admissions (Politico). Council on Foreign Relations — 58 East 68th Street — New York, NY 10065 CFR does not share email addresses with third parties. Forward This Email | Subscribe to CFR Newsletters | Unsubscribe - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
From: dailybrief@e.cfr.org
Date: March 09, 2018 at 11:06PM
