WASHINGTON, June 30 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump were set to hold bilateral talks Friday over a wide range of issues that will likely include ways to strengthen the countries' alliance and their joints efforts to rid North Korea of nuclear weapons.
The first bilateral summit between the two leaders was set to begin at 10:15 a.m. at the White House. The 30-minute one-on-one meeting will quickly be followed by what Seoul officials have called an "expanded summit" that will include top officials from both countries.
The talks will likely focus on ways to further develop the countries' traditional alliance as they struggle to rein in North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats.
Pyongyang has staged five missile tests since the new South Korean administration came into office on May 10.
And to ensure their joint efforts, officials from South Korea's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said it was imperative for the countries' leaders to form a close personal relationship.
"We hope the two heads of state will form a close relationship and trust, so they will establish a close consultative mechanism through telephone conversations whenever necessary, reciprocal visits and multilateral meetings," Chung Eui-yong, Moon's top security adviser and head of the presidential National Security Office, said earlier.
Since his arrival here Wednesday, Moon has been provided with what South Korean officials called the highest formalities afforded to a foreign leader, apparently reflecting the importance Trump and his administration place on the Korea-U.S. alliance.
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