On Saturday, the White House announced that its planned summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was back on after a brief hiatus. But it seems the United States might have to compete with other world leaders for space on Kim’s calendar: on Sunday, North Korean media claimed Bashar al-Assad is interested in his own North Korean summit.
According to a report from North Korean state television which is, of course, less than reliable, Assad is planning a state visit to North Korea — the first for the Syrian leader recently accused of using chemical weapons on his own citizens.
“I am going to visit the DPRK and meet HE Kim Jong-un,” Assad was quoted as saying, according to the UK’s Guardian newspaper. “HE” is short for “His Excellency,” Kim’s preferred title.
“The world welcomes the remarkable events in the Korean peninsula brought about recently by the outstanding political caliber and wise leadership of HE Kim Jong-un,” Assad supposedly said, according to North Korean media. “I am sure that he will achieve the final victory and realise the reunification of Korea without fail.”
If the story sounds a little farfetched, that’s because it is. Assad has not independently confirmed the meeting.
North Korea has made repeated overtures to Syria and Assad, violating international sanctions to send Assad military equipment and some of the parts necessary to build ballistic missiles and chemical weapons. North Korea could, again, be trying to get a quick influx of cash from the Syrian president.
North Korea could also be pushing the United States to pull closer in the days leading up to the Singapore peace summit set to take place on in June, with the ham-fisted suggestion that Kim has other suitors.