Focus on DPRK, Iran, Afghanistan, Syria as UNGA wraps up

World Today

Afghanistan’s National Security Adviser Hamdullah Mohib addresses the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Monday, Sept. 30, 2019. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

It’s the final day of keynote speeches from members of the United Nations at this year’s General Assembly.

The DPRK is urging the U.S. to negotiate over its nuclear arsenal and security, Afghanistan celebrated its elections and Saudi Arabia says it does not want war with Iran.

CGTN’s Nathan King reports from New York.

Delegates from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea have been more hopeful recently for a resumption of direct talks with the Trump administration and used their speech to urge the U.S. to abandon the maximum pressure campaign advocated by the now former U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton.

“More than one year has passed since the adoption of the June 12 DPRK-U.S. joint statement,” delegation chief Kim Song told the Assembly. “However, the relations between the DPRK and the U.S. have made little progress so far, and the situation on the Korean Peninsula has not come out of the vicious cycle of increased attention which is entirely attributable to the political and military provocations perpetrated by the U.S., resorting to the anachronistic hostile policy against the DPRK.”

U.S. President Trump last week expressed his willingness to hold a third summit with DPRK leader Kim Jong Un, though no details about what could be agreed at any future meeting have been given.

As the U.N. General Assembly wraps up here, news that President Trump nearly held a phone call with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. French President Emmanuel Macron nearly made the call happen, but it was abandoned at the last minute.

“We were close to diplomacy and a final solution, but the American government prevented that,” said government spokesman Ali Rabiei at a news briefing in Tehran. “The responsibility of no dialogue being formed in New York falls directly on the American government. Although Trump did not have the courage to do the right thing.”

Iran also revealed that they have been receiving messages from Saudi Arabia through other countries. This news comes as Riyadh’s crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman told U.S. media that war with Iran would collapse the global economy. Mohammed Bin Salman spoke to U.S. media. War with Iran would collapse the global economy, he saida sentiment echoed in the Saudi address to the General Assembly.

As this U.N. General Assembly comes to a close, it seems diplomatically this last week has been a series of missed opportunities. From Iran to the DPRK, the wars in Yemen and Afghanistan- lots of diplomacy, but no breakthroughs.