UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres today expressed regret over the cancellation of the proposed summit meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, saying he was deeply concerned over the calling of the much-awaited June 12 meeting.
In a surprise move, Trump cancelled his proposed summit meeting with Kim and blamed Pyongyang's "tremendous anger" and "open hostility" for his decision.
Trump's announcement came hours after North Korea carried out what it said was the demolition of its nuclear test site.
The Secretary General said he "regretted the cancellation of the planned meeting and urged the parties to continue their dialogue to find a path towards peaceful and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," Guterres' spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters here.
When asked if the Secretary General would offer any assistance for talks between India and the US, Dujarric said the UN Chief was available to all parties to try to help facilitate the process.
"I was very much looking forward to being there with you. Sadly, based on the tremendous anger and open hostility displayed in your most recent statement, I feel it is inappropriate, at this time, to have this long-planned meeting," Trump wrote in a letter to Kim which was released to the press.
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Trump said the North Korean leader talks about the country's nuclear capabilities, "but ours are so massive and powerful that I pray to God they will never have to be used".
In April, Trump had stunned the world by accepting an invitation to meet Kim in an unprecedented sit-down.
Trump and Kim had previously traded insults and threats.
The summit would have been the first ever meeting between a sitting US president and North Korean leader.