WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th April, 2021) The Biden administration will be pursuing a new approach to negotiating with North Korea about the dismantling of that country's nuclear and ballistic missile programs in exchange for removal of sanctions, the Washington Post reported on Friday.
The Biden administration is not seeking a grand bargain or an all-or-nothing approach but has settled on a calibrated and practical approach to diplomacy with North Korea with the goal of eliminating the threat to the United States, the report quoted a senior administration official as saying on Thursday.
The new plan involves a phased agreement between the two countries that would partially remove sanctions in exchange for partially dismantling the weapons programs, the report said.
Engagement with other US partners in East Asia is both important and uncertain, given the role that China would likely have to play in the negotiating process, the report said.
Escalating tensions between the United States and China could threaten their role in forging a successful agreement, but the Biden administration seeks to continue cooperating with Beijing to enforce sanctions and keep diplomatic channels open.
Earlier this month, reports from the US intelligence community indicated that North Korea may resume testing of its nuclear and missile technology in an attempt to reshape the region's security environment.
