Pompeo says diplomacy focused on ensuring no need to reopen N.K. nuke file
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said that Washington's diplomacy with Pyongyang is focused on ensuring that it never again has to "reopen the North Korean nuclear file".
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said that Washington's diplomacy with Pyongyang is focused on ensuring that it never again has to "reopen the North Korean nuclear file", Yonhap reports.
Pompeo made the remarks at an event marking the 40th anniversary of the U.S. think tank Claremont Institute on Saturday, noting that previous U.S. administrations' efforts to denuclearize the North only resulted in U.S. diplomatic failure.
Past efforts, agreements that we entered into with North Korea, only produced more North Korean nukes and American diplomatic failure," the top U.S. diplomat said at the event in Beverly Hills, California.
Our diplomacy with the DPRK is laser-focused on making sure that we never again have to reopen the North Korean nuclear file," he added, referring to the initials of the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
His remarks came after Pyongyang fired off two short-range missiles on Thursday, the second such destabilizing move in less than a week, in an apparent show of growing frustration over its stalled nuclear negotiations with Washington.
The North's escalatory action has stoked fears that diplomatic efforts by Seoul and Washington could lose steam.
But Pompeo said that diplomatic engagement with Pyongyang is something the Donald Trump administration is "profoundly proud of."
Our diplomatic efforts to get the entire world to engage, to see the risk for what it is, and to help us get North Korea to a brighter future, is something that our administration is profoundly proud of," he said.
Despite its recent projectile launches, Seoul and Washington have appeared to be trying to keep dialogue with Pyongyang alive, with both cautious not to characterize the launches as outright provocations in breach of U.N. resolutions banning Pyongyang's ballistic missile tests.
In a phone interview with Politico on Friday, President Trump said he doesn't think the North's launches of short-range missiles last week were a breach of trust, although that could happen in the future.
No. No. I'm not at all," he said. "They're short-range. They're short-range, and I don't consider that a breach of trust at all. And you know, at some point I may. But at this, at this point, no. These were short-range missiles and very standard stuff. Very standard."
Trump has regarded Pyongyang's self-imposed moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile tests as part of his key foreign policy achievements.
Source: Kazinform News Agency
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For the First Time in the History of Bilateral Relations National Kazakh Music was Played in Cuba
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The Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Cuba at the Havana theater "la Sala de concieros Igasio Cevantes" organized a concert dedicated to Kazakh and international classical music for local audiences and foreign diplomatic missions to the host countries. Thus, in the distant island of Cuba, national Kazakh music was played for the first time in the history of bilateral relations, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.
The world-famous Kazakhstani violinist Yevgeniy Dyo and his American colleague violinist Veronica Mercedes Pazymino Jurkiewicz performed on stage in front of the audience. They arrived in Havana from the United States at the special invitation of the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Cuba Andrian Yelemessov.
The musicians performed Kazakh national music and famous kuis - "Karakemer" by Kuat Shyldedayev, "Gakku" by Ibyrai arranged by Evgeny Brusilovsky, "Eligai" by Latif Hamidi, "Ak Sisa" by Zhayau Musa, "Zhezkiik" by Akhmet Zhubanov, "Ayttym salem Kalamkas" by Abai, "Boz Aigyr" by Evgeny Brusilovsky, "Aria" by Akhmet Zhubanov, solo in the opera "Kozy Korpesh Bayan Sulu", classical works "Etudes Caprice" by Henryk Wieniawski, "Allegretto" by Charles Auguste de Berio, "Duet for Two Violinists" by Reinhold Glier, as well as other foreign composers Carlos Gardel "Por Una Cabeza", Jacob Gade "Tango "Jealous", Astor Piazzolla "Libertango". The audience was given a brief explanation of each Kazakh national music and kuis.
The musical compositions performed, including Kazakh national music and kui, had a very positive impact on the audience, aroused sincere gratitude and interest in Kazakhstan.
The cultural event allowed Cuban viewers located at a significant geographical distance from Kazakhstan and representatives of foreign diplomatic institutions accredited in the Republic of Cuba to get to know the national music and musical traditions of our country better.
Dr. Yevgeniy Dyo is currently the Vice President and Chairman of the Association of Korean Musicians in Philadelphia. Since his debut with the Kazakh State Orchestra at the age of nine, he has performed in the CIS countries, Europe, Asia, Canada and the USA, including Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Kimmel Concert Center, Tchaikovsky Hall, Vienna Mozarteum, Meerson Hall, Presidential Hall of the Astana Philharmonic, the Vatican and South Korea, as well as at the UN headquarters. He has received numerous awards, including the main prize, at national and international competitions.
Veronica Mercedes Pazymino Jurkiewicz is a versatile musician in Philadelphia as a violinist and viola player. She performs folk and traditional music of various genres in the ensembles "Bismuth String Quartet", "Arkany Ensemble of New Music" and "Choral Artы of Philadelphia". Teaches both violin and viola at "Friends Select School and Movemakers Philly".
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Kazakhstan and Cyprus Hold Second Round of Political Consultations
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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan hosted the second round of political consultations between Kazakhstan and Cyprus, focusing on the current state and future prospects of bilateral relations, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.
Roman Vassilenko, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, and Andreas Kakouris, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus co-chaired the consultations. Discussions covered a wide range of topics, including political, trade and economic cooperation, the expansion of the bilateral legal framework, as well as key issues on the international and regional agenda.
Deputy Minister Vassilenko highlighted Kazakhstan’s view of Cyprus as a valuable and reliable partner within the European Union and expressed Kazakhstan’s readiness to strengthen ties both bilaterally and multilaterally.
Permanent Secretary Kakouris underscored the significance of regular high-level interactions between the two countries’ foreign ministers, referencing their recent meetings on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly last September and the OSCE Ministerial Council past December. He noted that the recent opening of the Cypriot Embassy to Kazakhstan marks a significant step toward enhancing bilateral cooperation across various sectors.
As a result of the meeting, both sides agreed on developing a schedule for future engagements to ensure the effective implementation of prior agreements.
On the same day, the Cypriot delegation met with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Alibek Bakayev to exchange views on developments within international and regional organizations.
Both parties stressed importance of resolving the conflicts through peaceful means exclusively, based on the principles of international law.
For reference: From January to November 2024, trade between Kazakhstan and Cyprus reached 7.1 million US dollars, a fivefold increase compared to the same period in 2023. Exports from Kazakhstan amounted to 6.1 million dollars, while imports totaled 1 million dollars. Since 2005, Cyprus has invested more than 4.8 billion dollars in Kazakhstan, reflecting the growing economic partnership between the two countries. In Kazakhstan there are more than 370 companies with Cypriot capital.
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Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan Continue to Develop Allied Relations and Strengthen Strategic Dialogue
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At the invitation of the Kazakh side, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic Zheenbek Kulubaev paid his first official visit to Astana, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.
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The Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan emphasized that due to the political will of the Heads of State, Kazakh-Kyrgyz relations have been brought to a qualitatively new level of interaction. In particular, following the official visit of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Zhaparov, the Treaty on Deepening and Expanding Allied Relations between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan was signed, a number of economic, cultural and humanitarian events were held, aimed at comprehensive strengthening of the bonds of friendship between the two countries.
Kyrgyzstan is not only a reliable ally for us, but also a good neighbor and a brotherly nation, with which we are linked by centuries-old ties of friendship, common spiritual values and common Turkic roots," said Nurtleu.
For his part, Minister Kulubaev reiterated that today the relations between the two countries have reached a qualitatively new level, having acquired the character of deepened allied relations.
The heads of the foreign ministries of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan reviewed in detail the implementation of the agreements reached during the 6th High Interstate Council of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Kyrgyz Republic, held in Astana on April 19, 2024. They agreed to continue to assist in further expansion of inter-parliamentary and intergovernmental relations.
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The ministers noted the significant potential for cooperation in the spheres of energy, transportation, logistics, including the prospects for the implementation of joint projects. They expressed readiness to promote the development of fruitful cooperation in these areas.
The issues of deepening cultural and humanitarian ties, which are the basis of strong and long-term relations between the two states, were discussed in a separate item.
Last year, the Days of Culture of Kyrgyzstan and a number of large-scale events were held in Kazakhstan with great success, including joint concerts, movie days, forums of youth and elders. This year it is planned to hold cross-cultural movie days, as well as the 3rd Kazakh-Kyrgyz Youth Forum.
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