Senior Policy Director Alexandra Bell spoke with Southeast Asia Globe about the effects of potential sanctions relief coming out of the Trump-Kim summit.
And yet, in the eventuality of a failed summit, the West may depend more than ever before on Southeast Asia – and on every region enabling North Korea’s economic activity – to strictly enforce sanctions and bring North Korea back to the negotiating table, according to Alexandra Bell, senior policy director at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation.
“Since a denuclearised North Korea is in the interest of the entire international community, compliance with sanctions should be a priority for all countries in the region,” said Bell. “Failure to comply with the sanctions regime could result in economic isolation and increased pressure from the US and its allies.”
Trade that goes against the West’s wishes could quash any hope of nenuclearlisation, she said: “Any sanction-violating trade with North Korea helps to make a bad situation worse.” Read more