What India gains from the Donald Trump-Kim Jong summit

India on Tuesday welcomed the historic summit between US Donald Trump and North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un. India hoped that any resolution on denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula will address its concerns over Pyongyang's nuclear proliferation linkages.

While expressing happiness, India gradually slipped in the need for a probe into the Kim regime's proliferation linkages so that those responsible for it could be held accountable.
"We also hope that the resolution of the Korean Peninsula issue will take into account and address our concerns about proliferation linkages extending to India's neighbourhood," it said in a statement, in an apparent reference to North Korea's alleged nuclear proliferation linkages with Pakistan. India has been pressing for a probe into Kim regime's proliferation linkages so that those responsible for it be held accountable," India said.

What does the summit mean for India:

India feels that the summit would pave the way for lasting peace and stability in the region. The statement on proliferation linkages clearly was a dig at Pakistan. India was referring to Pakistan's nuclear programme indirectly and hoped that the US would act on those concerns as well.

The other development that India would closely watch is with related to the sanctions. The US has not promised as yet that it would lift sanctions, but India is hoping that if Kim becomes more mainstream the sanctions would be lifted.

India was the third largest trading partner with North Korea until the nation was hit by sanctions. The lifting of sanctions even if it were to be done gradually would give India an opportunity to open the trade route it had with North Korea once again.

The other aspect one would need to look at is the concerns that India has been raising regarding the regarding the relations between Pakistan, China and North Korea. India believes that it is this nexus that had set off the missile race by Pakistan.

According to some media reports, Pakistan had secretly supplied North Korea with nuclear enrichment technology when A Q Khan headed the country's nuclear programme. They said Pakistan supplied vital machinery, drawings and technical advice to North Korea, allowing Pyongyang to enrich uranium as early as 2002.

With regard to the denuclearisation of North Korea, India believes that Kim would not do that overnight. He is yet to completely trust the Americans and would have in mind what happened with the Gaddafi led Libyan regime which had given up its nukes only to be hounded by the Americans.

However over all, India views this is a very positive development. The results would be gradual, but if all goes well it is good for the region and for India as well, officials point out.

India's official statement:

"India welcomes the US - DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) Summit held in Singapore. This is a positive development. India has always supported all efforts to bring about peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and diplomacy," the External Affairs Ministry said.

After the talks, the US president said that the process of denuclearisation on the Korean peninsula will begin "very soon" and the North Korean leader promised to leave the past behind.

"We hope that the outcomes of the US-DPRK Summit will be implemented, thus paving the way for lasting peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula," the ministry said.