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North Korean Foreign Minister Heads to Sweden


North Korea's Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho speaks outside the U.N. Plaza Hotel, in New York, Sept. 25, 2017.
North Korea's Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho speaks outside the U.N. Plaza Hotel, in New York, Sept. 25, 2017.

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho is heading to Sweden on a mission that could set the stage for a possible summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Ri will arrive in Stockholm Thursday for two days of talks with Margot Wallstrom, his Swedish counterpart. Sweden represents diplomatic interests for the United States, Canada and Australia through its embassy in North Korea.

U.N. undersecretary-general for political affairs Jeffrey Feltman, center, meets with North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho at the Mansudae Assembly Hall in Pyongyang, North Korea, Dec. 7, 2017.
U.N. undersecretary-general for political affairs Jeffrey Feltman, center, meets with North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho at the Mansudae Assembly Hall in Pyongyang, North Korea, Dec. 7, 2017.

​Sweden's Foreign Ministry says the purpose of Ri's visit "is to contribute to the effective implementation" of the resolutions by the U.N. Security Council condemning Pyongyang over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.

President Trump unexpectedly announced last week that he will meet face-to-face with Kim Jong Un by the end of May, but a date and location have not been announced.

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