Bangkok Bank + insurance (package deal)

[rooster59]

First planned N.Korea-U.S. contact in Trump administration cancelled - WSJ

 

U.S. President Donald Trump points to the media up as he walks on the South Lawn upon his return to the White House in Washington, U.S., February 24, 2017. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

 

SEOUL (Reuters) - Plans for the first contact between North Korea and the United States after President Donald Trump took office were cancelled after the U.S. State Department denied a visa for the top envoy from Pyongyang, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday.

The talks, between senior North Korean foreign ministry envoy Choe Son Hui and former U.S. officials, were scheduled to take place on March 1 and 2 in New York but were called off after Choe was denied a visa, the Journal said.

It was not clear what led the State Department to deny the visa but North Korea's test-firing of a ballistic missile on Feb. 12 and the murder of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's half brother in Malaysia may have played a role, the report said.

South Korean and U.S. officials have said they believe North Korean agents assassinated Kim Jong Nam, the estranged half brother of Kim Jong Un, on Feb. 13.

A U.S. State Department official denied so-called track two discussions had been scheduled.

"The U.S government had no plans to engage in track 2 talks in New York," the official said, declining comment on individual visa cases.

A South Korean foreign ministry official declined to comment on the report of the cancelled meeting in New York, saying the reported plan did not involve the U.S. or South Korean government.

The meeting in New York would have been the first time a senior North Korean envoy would visit the United States since 2011 and the first contact between U.S. and North Korean representatives since Trump took office.

Choe, director general for North American affairs at the North's foreign ministry, has previously met former U.s. officials and academics, the last time in November in Geneva for informal discussions.

Trump said in a Reuters interview on Thursday that he was concerned about North Korea's ballistic missile tests and "it's a very dangerous situation". Trump did not ruling out meeting Kim at some point in the future under certain circumstances but suggested it might be too late.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-02-25

[elgordo38]

Good thing it would have been the same old gimme gimme song and dance. 

[Srikcir]

5 hours ago, rooster59 said:

suggested it might be too late.

Only 30 days into the Trump presidency and many things are already too late.

[stevenl]

What is the point of denying an envoy a visa? Why avoid talks?

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[Scott]

29 minutes ago, stevenl said:

What is the point of denying an envoy a visa? Why avoid talks?

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That's an interesting point.   No doubt he has something very shady in his past that would result in this, and it probably  goes well beyond politics.   Many years ago, a Thai politician was denied a visa and all-hell-broke lose.   The embassy doesn't usually comment, but under a great deal of pressure (and the politician mouthing off), they came up with some pretty solid links to him being involved in the drug trade.   That was back in the days when the Golden Triangle was the world's major supplier of opium/heroin.  

 

With N. Korea, I don't know how visas are issued, since it says it was the State Department that denied the visa.  

 

The telling part of this story is with the denial of the visa.   Ordinarily if there was some diplomatic row, they would simply cancel the talks.  

[Srikcir]

59 minutes ago, Scott said:

Ordinarily if there was some diplomatic row, they would simply cancel the talks.  

The "envoy" was to meet with former government officials.

So he was not really performing an official diplomatic role, ie., meeting with current US government officials that one might expect as an envoy. There is, therefore, no diplomatic issues with denial of his visa any more than a foreigner might be denied a US tourist visa. If indeed he considered himself an envoy, it would be to meet with current government officials, albeit very low-level officials.

[Scott]

Thanks for the 'former'.   I had missed that.   Even so, it is very unusual to deny an envoy, and that is what he is listed as, being denied a visa, especially if they were meeting in New York.   Because the UN is in New York there is a great deal of latitude in letting people into NY and in some cases, they are restricted in how far outside the city they can travel.  

 

 

[boomerangutang]

       There's a lot of on-the-job learning needed for a dunce like Trump.  He had zero government experience coming in to the job.  He doesn't read more than a paragraph at a time.  He either doesn't listen, and/or thinks he knows more than all military, intelligence, diplomatic advisers.  

 

        Trump and Bannon put the word out; no military, CIA, FBI, NSA attendance at intelligence briefings unless Bannon and/or Trump decided, beforehand, the topic related directly to them. Only then, would representatives be invited.   Recipe for international disasters.

[stevenl]

The "envoy" was to meet with former government officials.

So he was not really performing an official diplomatic role, ie., meeting with current US government officials that one might expect as an envoy. There is, therefore, no diplomatic issues with denial of his visa any more than a foreigner might be denied a US tourist visa. If indeed he considered himself an envoy, it would be to meet with current government officials, albeit very low-level officials.

Thanks, missed the 'former'. In that case talks could still be sensible, but a refusal is no big deal IMO.

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[ToS2014]

I use my cell phone daily, unfortunately sometimes, and zero of my 'talks' require a visa or an extension of stay approval.

[rijb]

3 hours ago, boomerangutang said:

       There's a lot of on-the-job learning needed for a dunce like Trump.  He had zero government experience coming in to the job.  He doesn't read more than a paragraph at a time.  He either doesn't listen, and/or thinks he knows more than all military, intelligence, diplomatic advisers.  

 

        Trump and Bannon put the word out; no military, CIA, FBI, NSA attendance at intelligence briefings unless Bannon and/or Trump decided, beforehand, the topic related directly to them. Only then, would representatives be invited.   Recipe for international disasters.

Source?

[Andaman Al]

14 minutes ago, ToS2014 said:

I use my cell phone daily, unfortunately sometimes, and zero of my 'talks' require a visa or an extension of stay approval.

That will be taken care of in Trumps second term agenda   

[thaihome]

1 hour ago, rijb said:

Source?

Trump's executive order on the NSC:

"...The PC shall have as its regular attendees the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Defense, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff, the Assistant to the President and Chief Strategist, the National Security Advisor, and the Homeland Security Advisor.  The Director of National Intelligence and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff shall attend where issues pertaining to their responsibilities and expertise are to be discussed. ..."

https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/01/28/presidential-memorandum-organization-national-security-council-and