Bishop and Trump discuss menace of North Korea in face-to-face chat

FOREIGN Minister Julie Bishop had a one-on-one chat with the US President today after his forceful UN speech. Here’s what they discussed.

FOREIGN Minister Julie Bishop had a one-on-one chat with President Donald Trump in New York overnight where they discussed Australia and the United States’ shared determination to stop North Korea’s weapons program.

The face-to-face encounter followed Mr Trump’s forceful speech to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, where he vowed to “totally destroy” the rogue nation if it attacked the US or its allies and urged other countries to follow his “America first” doctrine by putting their citizens first.

While she characterised the face-to-face encounter as a “private conversation”, Ms Bishop did provide some detail about what they discussed in response to a question from news.com.au.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop with her partner David Panton at the United Nations headquarters on Tuesday. Picture: AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews

“I spoke to the President about his speech and about his comments on North Korea,” the Foreign Minister said.

“We had a rather detailed discussion on what options are available to the international community and what is Kim Jong-un’s endgame.

“We discussed specifically the issue with North Korea and the illegal behaviour of Kim Jong-un’s regime in its continual defiance of UN Security Council resolutions.

“There have been six illegal nuclear weapons tests and about 88 or more ballistic missile tests all in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions.

“The permanent members of the Security Council and, indeed, the entire international community cannot allow continued defiance of UN Security Council resolutions to go on.

“That’s why we’re part of the sanctions regime, why we’re part of the collective strategy to impose sufficient pressure on North Korea that it changes its behaviour.”

The UN Security Council has levelled two sets of harsh sanctions on North Korea over the past two months.

US President Donald Trump addresses the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly. Picture: AP Photo/Richard Drew

Ms Bishop said the President also “put in context” some of the statements made in his 40-minute speech.

“For example, he clarified the ‘America first’ [policy] by equating it to the responsibility of all national governments to put the interests of their nations and their citizens first,” she said.

“Indeed, he was highly critical of governments that disregard the welfare of their own citizens and disregard the national interest in their country.”

Ms Bishop spoke to Mr Trump as part of a lunch meeting also attended by US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley and US secretary of state Rex Tillerson.

“At the lunch meeting today, the President spoke about the challenges facing the UN and facing the UN Security Council and there seemed to be a considerable level of agreement,” she said.

“I also spoke to ambassador Haley and she said that parts of the President’s speech had been warmly received. In fact, if you were present, there were times when there was spontaneous applause.”

During the speech, Mr Trump mocked Kim Jong-un as a “Rocket Man” on a “suicide mission”.

On the prospect of taking military action against North Korea, the President said: “The United States is ready, willing and able, but hopefully this will not be necessary.”

Ms Bishop said Mr Trump’s comments were focused on “calling out this illegal behaviour and calling on the international community to continue to condemn North Korea and ensure that sufficient pressure is put on North Korea so that it returns to the negotiating table”.

“The last thing anybody wants is for there to be conflict on the Korean Peninsula,” she said.

“The President made it quite clear that the consequences of that would be catastrophic.”

The Foreign Minister will attend a function hosted by the President and first lady Melania Trump on Tuesday night, US time, as well as a reception for Commonwealth nations, hosted by British PM Theresa May.