UN pays North Korea a rare visit
Pyongyang: United Nations Senior United Nations Official Jeffrey Feltman (a former US diplomat and the highest ranking American in the UN) recently visited North Korea, according to state official news agency. A four-day visit in six years to the country by Jeffrey Feltman surprised the world.
On December 5th, 2017 his unplanned rare visit not only astonished the world but also raised certain questions.
It reported that some of the officials that North Korea believed that “Policy dialogue” would be better way for political and regional stability, and for that sake, state officials extended invitation to the UN.
Earlier that year in September the visit by United Nations was refused but last week when North Korea declared it as “most powerful” intercontinental and claimed to hit US if they would not stop conspiring against them.
The stay of Mr Feltman would be expected in Pyongyang until Friday. His visit comes as South Korea and the US conducted their largest ever round of aerial drills.
A UN spokesman told reporters, “ Mr Feltman will be meeting senior North Korean officials including foreign minister Ri Yong-ho, and will have a wide-ranging policy discussion on issues of mutual interest and concern.”
However, he had not scheduled to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Kim Jong-un had just announced his country’s success in creating a nuclear force.
Mr Feltman held talks in Beijing – no doubt interested to hear what, if anything, came out of China’s latest talks with the North Korean regime on the way to Pyongyang.
He reminded that UN operated six agencies with 50 international staff in North Korea which provide food, agricultural and health aid. Malnutrition is a significant problem in the country.
The UN has said, “There are no plans at present for UN chief Antonio Guterres, who has offered to mediate in the North Korean crisis, to visit Pyongyang.”
Further, a diplomatic channel claimed that the UN clearly believed it’s important to pursue whatever opportunities exist for dialogue.
Reproter: Syeda Faiza Bukhari
