US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un are to meet at a luxury resort on Sentosa Island for nuclear talks next week in Singapore, the White House said on Tuesday.
The historic meeting is to be held at the Capella Hotel, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on Twitter.
Trump and Kim’s highly anticipated meeting has been scheduled for 9am on Tuesday next week after a flurry of on-again, off-again action.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Trump hopes to secure a nuclear deal with North Korea, seeking for Kim to give up Pyongyang’s nuclear program, although he last week said that the process would likely take longer than a single meeting.
Located half a kilometer off the coast of the city-state, Sentosa is known for its high-end beach hotels, golf courses and amusement parks.
A US advance team was last week spotted at the Capella Hotel meeting with North Korean officials in preparation for the summit.
The hotel is known for luxury amenities, impeccable service and, above all, privacy for business and leisure.
Officials had also considered the Shangri-La Hotel, which hosts an annual international security summit and was the venue for a 2015 meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and then-president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九).
Trump is expected to stay at that hotel, which is near a major shopping district and less secluded than the island facility chosen for his meeting with Kim.
Singaporean airspace is to be restricted during the summit, according to a notice to aviators posted by aviation authorities yesterday.
The city-state has increased security across the island.
The notice, published on the Web sites of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the US Federal Aviation Administration, said airspace over Singapore would be temporarily restricted for parts of Monday to Wednesday next week.
All aircraft arriving at Singapore Changi Airport would be required to reduce speed and face some restrictions on runway use “for reasons of national security,” the notice said.
A separate notice on the ICAO Web site warned aviators to keep clear of Paya Lebar Air Base, a military facility in the island’s east that has been used by US presidents on past visits.
Aircraft that breach the restrictions “may be intercepted,” the notice said.
As part of its preparations for the summit, Singapore has designated certain parts of the city as “special event areas” from Sunday to Thursday.
These include the central region — home to the Singaporean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the US embassy and several hotels — and Sentosa Island in the south.
Items such as remotely piloted aircraft and public address systems would be prohibited in those areas throughout the period.
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