A United Nations Security Council (UNSC) committee has agreed to lift a travel ban on North Korean officials heading to Singapore for the planned summit between United States President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un next month, diplomats said.
Last week, Singapore asked the sanctions committee to grant an exemption to the North Korean delegation attending the June 12 summit and taking part in preparatory meetings, according to the request seen by AFP.
鈥淭his summit will serve as an opportunity to advance the objective of a peaceful resolution of the DPRK nuclear issue and the establishment of peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and in the region,鈥� wrote Singapore鈥檚 UN Ambassador Burhan Gafoor to the committee.
The letter did not specify the size of the delegation from Pyongyang.
The UN sanctions blacklist for North Korea has 80 individuals and 75 entities which are subject to a global travel ban and an assets freeze.
The request for the blanket exemption to the global travel plan was approved on Wednesday after none of the council members raised objections.
Trump earlier said the fate of the summit will be decided next week as his aides traveled to Singapore to prepare the meeting and push for certain conditions to be met.
鈥淭here are certain conditions we want to happen. I think we鈥檒l get those conditions. And if we don鈥檛, we won鈥檛 have the meeting,鈥� Trump told reporters on Tuesday.
The UNSC has imposed tough sanctions on North Korea that ban trade in commodities, and severely restrict deliveries of oil vital to Pyongyang鈥檚 missile and nuclear program. 聽聽/kga