(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) WASHINGTON, Dec 28 (KUNA) -- United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson praised the US diplomatic efforts in securing global peace and stability despite "immense challenges" with North Korea, China, and Russia over international terrorism. In an op-ed published in the New York Times on Wednesday, Tillerson said Americans should be "encouraged by the progress" made by the State Department and Unite States Agency for International Development (USAID). However, Over the past year, the United States has faced immense challenges in its dealings with North Korea, China and Russia, and in its efforts to defeat international terrorism, he said. President Donald Trump identified North Korea as the United States' "greatest security threat," Tillerson wrote, and since he "abandoned the failed policy of strategic patience" for "a policy of pressure through diplomatic and economic sanctions," North Korea should feel pushed into "serious negotiations on the abandonment of its nuclear and ballistic missile programs." "Our peaceful pressure campaign has cut off roughly 90 percent of North Koreaآ's export revenue, much of which is used to fund illegal weapons development," Tillerson noted.
He also said China "could and should do more" to "exert its decisive economic leverage on Pyongyang" and when it comes to Russia, "we have no illusions about the regime we are dealing with. The US today has a poor relationship with a resurgent Russia that has invaded its neighbors Georgia and Ukraine in the last decade and undermined the sovereignty of Western nations by meddling in our election and others." At the same time, it is important to work with Russia where "mutual interests intersect," like in Syria. Tillerson said he's "confident" Russia will fully participate in peace talks in Geneva, and those will ultimately lead to "a Syria that is free of Bashar al-Assad and his family." Meanwhile, according to Tillerson "defeating terrorism remains one of the Trumpآ's highest priorities," and the US-led coalition has accelerated operations to defeat Islamic State fighters remaining in Syria and Iraq, recapturing "virtually all of previously held IS territory," there. (end) hy.rk
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