India to attend 'North Korea summit' organized by US, Canada
India will attend an upcoming summit co-hosted by the US and Canada, focused on managing the nuclear threat from North Korea. In a press briefing, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and his Canadian counterpart Chrystia Freeland officially announced the "Vancouver Group" of countries, including India and Japan, who will attend the summit. The summit is scheduled to be held on January 16, 2018.
There has been a growing nuclear threat from North Korea. In July, it tested an ICBM which purportedly brought the entire US within its strike range. In August, it threatened to launch a nuclear attack on the US-Pacific territory of Guam in response to Trump's threats. In September, Pyongyang tested a Hydrogen-bomb. In November, it test-fired its highest-ever missile which reached a 4,500km altitude.
The Vancouver summit intends to convene foreign ministers from countries who participated in the 1950-51 Korean conflict. These countries include Australia, Britain, France, Ethiopia, Colombia, Philippines, South Africa, Greece, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Thailand, Turkey, and Belgium. "We are obviously including other important parties, South Korea, Japan, India, ....who we think are important to have engaged in this meeting," Tillerson said.
The participants will discuss means to improve pressure tactics against Pyongyang. They will also look to deliberate upon other steps that could be taken to increase pressure on the North and ways to proceed with diplomacy. Freeland stressed on diplomacy and said the gathering shall strive toward advancing diplomatic efforts towards a peaceful, prosperous, and nuclear-free future for the Korean peninsula
Tillerson stated that the pressure campaign is ultimately intended toward bringing North Korea to the negotiating table. He said that while Washington had indicated readiness to commence talks, it was important for North Korea to know that "the pressure campaign won't abate." "We won't be rolling it back. It will only be intensified until they agree to give up their nukes," he added.
