Australia’s foreign minister Julie Bishop says Donald Trump deserves credit over North Korea summit

Donald Trump deserves praise for changing the game with North Korea after a historic agreement was reached, according to the Australian Foreign Minister.

Kim Jong-un became the first North Korean leader to cross the border and meet with his counterpart from South Korea in the demilitarised zone at Panmunjom on Friday.

Julie Bishop said the Turnbull Government welcomed the groundbreaking summit and credited President Trump for getting Kim Jong-un to the negotiation table with Moon Jae-in.

Kim Jong-un became the first North Korean leader to cross the border and meet with his counterpart from South Korea in the demilitarised zone at Panmunjom

Donald Trump deserves praise for changing the game with North Korea after Friday's historic agreement, according to the Australian Foreign Minister

Donald Trump deserves praise for changing the game with North Korea after Friday’s historic agreement, according to the Australian Foreign Minister

Julie Bishop (pictured) said President Trump had 'changed the status quo' by getting Kim to the negotiation table with his hard-line stance

Julie Bishop (pictured) said President Trump had ‘changed the status quo’ by getting Kim to the negotiation table with his hard-line stance

President Trump had been holding firm to pressure the UN into imposing the widest range of economic sanctions on North Korea while also threatening military action

President Trump had been holding firm to pressure the UN into imposing the widest range of economic sanctions on North Korea while also threatening military action

Ms Bishop said she believed US President’s more aggressive stance with North Korea had ‘changed the status quo’ leading to the Panmunjom Declaration yesterday.

North Korea and South Korea pledged to start denuclearisation on the peninsula and create a long-term peace in the historic agreement.

Tensions have been at their highest point on the Korean peninsula in recent months with many fearing Trump’s hard-ball stance, threats of military action and further sanctions against North Korea would lead to war.

In an interview with Fairfax Media on Saturday, Ms Bishop said Trump’s rhetoric had contributed to convincing Kim to come to the table.

Turnbull government welcomed the groundbreaking summit and credited President Trump for getting Kim Jong Un (left) to the negotiation table with Moon Jae-in (right)

Turnbull government welcomed the groundbreaking summit and credited President Trump for getting Kim Jong Un (left) to the negotiation table with Moon Jae-in (right)

North Korea and South Korea pledged to start denuclearisation on the peninsula and create a long-term peace in the historic agreement

North Korea and South Korea pledged to start denuclearisation on the peninsula and create a long-term peace in the historic agreement

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in attend the Inter-Korean Summit dinner on April 27

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in attend the Inter-Korean Summit dinner on April 27

But she warned the pledges made were not set in stone with North Korea having a previous history of failing to ‘honour agreements’.

Trump vowed to keep ‘maximum pressure’ on Kim in the coming weeks and months as he promised not to make the ‘same mistakes as previous administrations’.

There is now a very real prospect that Trump and Kim will meet face to face later this year, which the American leader said he was looking forward to in a press conference in Washington on Friday.

The two leaders were seen joking at the dinner table during the successful talks on Friday

The two leaders were seen joking at the dinner table during the successful talks on Friday

But Ms Bishop warned the pledges made were not set in stone with North Korea having a previous history of failing to 'honour agreements'

But Ms Bishop warned the pledges made were not set in stone with North Korea having a previous history of failing to ‘honour agreements’

There is now a very real prospect that Trump and Kim will meet face to face later this year

There is now a very real prospect that Trump and Kim will meet face to face later this year

The escalation of the tension reached its peak earlier this year when Kim carried out multiple missile tests with intelligence gathered by the West suggesting the weapons could strike Australia or the US.

Meanwhile, the tensions seemed to be ramping up further when President Trump called Kim out on Twitter saying he was a ‘frightened dog’ and a ‘little rocket man’.

In the last few years, Kim has pressed on with a nuclear program threatening to further destabilise relations throughout the world.

But Ms Bishop believes Kim Jong-Un will not give up his country’s weapons lightly adding there was more work to do.

She said the intervention Trump had made by getting involved with affairs in North Korea had led to China sitting up and the UN Security Council setting the hardest-hitting sanctions ever against the country.

Trump vowed to keep 'maximum pressure' on Kim in the coming weeks and months as he promised not to make the 'same mistakes as previous administrations'

Trump vowed to keep ‘maximum pressure’ on Kim in the coming weeks and months as he promised not to make the ‘same mistakes as previous administrations’

‘That economic and political pressure has clearly had an impact in terms of bringing North Korea to the negotiating table today and talks of meeting with the US president,’ Ms Bishop told The Age.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull echoed Trump’s calls to ensure the pressure is kept up to prevent any further ‘false dawns’.

His administration believes there needs to be clear action showed by North Korea rather than just words.

Ms Bishop added military threats had been vital in the negotiation process and getting Kim to the summit.

During a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the White House, Trump told reporters he had a ‘good working relationship’ with Kim.

Trump, who met with Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull in Washington in February (pictured), said he was looking forward to meeting with Kim

Trump, who met with Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull in Washington in February (pictured), said he was looking forward to meeting with Kim

He said: ‘We’re setting up a meeting. Things have changed very radically from a few months ago.’

The President seemed confident and said he will get a kick out of seeing people who ‘have failed so badly over the last 25 years’ explain how to make a deal with North Korea.

Trump said there were two possible countries where the discussions between he and Kim will take place – with Singapore mooted as the favourite.

Ms Merkel, who spent three hours at the White House, said Trump’s strength was very clear and that the sanctions he pushed for had ‘opened new possibilities’.



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