UN chief praises DPRK, U.S. for pursuing diplomatic solution

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday commended the leaders of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States "for pursuing a diplomatic solution," hours before their summit in Singapore.

"The world is closely watching what will take place in Singapore in a few hours' time," said Guterres, praising the two leaders for their efforts toward a diplomatic solution and expressing gratitude to all those who have contributed to creating the conditions for the summit.

DPRK leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump both arrived in Singapore on Sunday for the historic summit scheduled for Tuesday at the Capella Hotel on the Sentosa resort island in Singapore.

Speaking at a press encounter, the UN chief stressed that peace and verifiable denuclearization must remain the clear and shared goal, noting that the road ahead requires cooperation, compromise and a common cause.

He pledged that relevant parts of the UN system stand ready to support the process in any way, including verification if requested by the key parties.

He went on to list the UN organs that can help push forward this process.

"The International Atomic Energy Agency has a mandate to apply safeguards on all nuclear material in peaceful use, including all material removed from military programmes," Guterres said.

"The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test Ban Treaty Organization could also play an important role in monitoring the DPRK's announced moratorium on nuclear explosive tests," he added.

"The Security Council has consistently underlined its desire for a peaceful, diplomatic and political solution to the situation, as well as urging further work to reduce tensions," he said.

Closing his speech, Guterres expressed his hope that all parties will seize this opportunity to support a peaceful, prosperous, secure, and verifiably denuclearized Korean Peninsula.