HANOI:  American President Donald Trump says North Korea could thrive economically if it would give up its pursuit of nuclear weapons.

North Korea could thrive very quickly as the other developed countries if it would denuclearize, Trump tweeted before sitting down with Kim later Wednesday in Hanoi.

“North Korea would be the same, and very quickly, if it would denuclearize. The potential is awesome, a great opportunity, like almost none other in history, for my friend Kim Jong-Un,” Trump tweeted.

Vietnam is thriving like few places on earth. North Korea would be the same, and very quickly, if it would denuclearize. The potential is AWESOME, a great opportunity, like almost none other in history, for my friend Kim Jong Un. We will know fairly soon – Very Interesting!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 27, 2019

Meanwhile, he asked the democrats in Washington why they did not tell North Korea to denuclearize during the eight years of the Obama Administration.

American Donald Trump and North Korea’s Kim Jong-Un are holding their second nuclear summit with a one-on-one discussion in the capital city Hanoi as the world is watching on curiously what negotiations will take place between the two.

The two leaders first met last June in Singapore, a summit that was long on historic pageantry but short on any enforceable agreements for North Korea to give up its nuclear arsenal.

(With inputs from Agencies)