SEOUL, South Korea: South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Monday welcomed North Korea’s announcement that it is set to dismantle its only nuclear test site, calling it a start to the country’s nuclear disarmament.
North Korea said Saturday that it will dismantle its northeastern Punggye-ri test site between May 23 and 25 in the presence of local and international media. The dismantling would come before North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump meet for June 12 talks in Singapore expected to focus on Kim’s nuclear program.
Moon said Monday that the North’s move shows how sincere the country is about making the talks between Kim and Trump a success. “This would be a preliminary step toward complete denuclearization,” Moon said during a meeting with his aides, according to his office.
Trump, in a tweet Saturday, already thanked North Korea for its plan to dismantle the nuclear test site, calling it “a very smart and gracious gesture!”
After months of tensions over his nuclear and missile tests, Kim has been reaching out to Washington and Seoul since the beginning of the year. He sent a delegation to February’s Winter Olympics in South Korea, held a landmark summit with Moon in April and last week released three Americans detained in North Korea.
Kim is also willing to place his nuclear program up for negotiations in return for security assurances, according to Seoul. But some experts still doubt how committed Kim is to taking serious disarmament steps because his country was close to achieving its goal of possessing nuclear missiles targeting the mainland US after decades of struggle.
Moon’s office previously said Kim told Moon during their April 27 summit that he would allow not only outside journalists but also experts to watch the dismantling of the Punggy-ri test site. But the North’s announcement Saturday did not mention anything about inviting experts to Punggy-ri, spawning speculation that the North may want to hide some information about its past nuclear tests.
Some experts have downplayed the closure of the Punggy-ri site, where all six of the North’s known underground nuclear explosions happened, saying it is already too unstable for more testing. Kim has denied such views, saying the site has two additional underground tunnels that could be used for new tests.
South Korea praises Pyongyang’s plan to dismantle nuclear test site
South Korea praises Pyongyang’s plan to dismantle nuclear test site
In Bangladesh’s mangrove forest, villagers brave tigers to collect rare honey
- Honey is gathered from wild bee colonies deep in the Sundarbans
- Producers made a debut at the biggest food fair in Jeddah this month
DHAKA: When the harvest begins, Mizanur Rahman gathers a few hundred men and sets out into the mangrove forest along the Bay of Bengal, where for months they climb trees to collect by hand a wild natural honey whose unique properties are only starting to attract global attention.
The honey is collected from wild bee colonies deep within the Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove reserve spanning parts of India and southwestern Bangladesh.
“Honey collection from this forest is mostly done in the Bangladesh part,” Rahman said. “All plants, trees, and the overall environment of this forest are natural. There is no human touch.”
Sundarban honey comes from an ecosystem where trees grow and bloom naturally, without the use of fertilizers or pesticides. Its collectors, known as mawalis, begin work in March for about three and a half months.
Rahman estimates there are about 4,000 mawalis in the local community. To enter the forest, they require special passes from the forest department.
“It’s a very risky job for the people who enter the forest,” he told Arab News. “It’s the only honey in the world where collectors risk their lives in the den of the mighty Bengal tiger to gather it. Sometimes, they also face the danger of poisonous snake bites.”
During the season, his team reaches up to 1,200 members who together manage to collect about 400 tons of honey.
“One hundred small boats start sailing together, each carrying eight to 10 people,” Rahman said. “Despite the dangers, it is a matter of pride to be part of these challenging tasks.”
Collected from a humid environment, Sundarban honey is thinner than other types. Its greenish-amber shade comes from the nectar of mangrove flowers, and the taste is less sweet than most commercial honeys, with a subtle citrus-like tanginess. The scent is mild.
Being raw and unprocessed, the honey retains more enzymes, antioxidants, and pollen.
“Some people can feel acidity similar to orange juice,” Rahman said. “It has a unique taste. If someone tastes this honey once, she or he will definitely love to taste it again and again.”
Well known locally in Bangladesh and parts of eastern India, where it has been harvested and consumed for generations, Sundarban honey is only starting to gain attention in organic and specialty food markets.
Earlier this month, it debuted at AgroFood Jeddah, Saudi Arabia’s leading international exhibition for the agriculture, food, and agritech industries.
The organic honey from the Sundarbans received an encouraging reception, according to Mohammed Saleh Uddin Bhuyan, chief category officer at Ghorer Bazar, one of the companies participating in the expo.
“We have been receiving good responses from the local buyers,” he said. “Saudi Arabia is a very promising market for us.”
Bangladeshi authorities recognize the honey’s export potential but also the fact that production still needs to be standardized to enter global markets.
Mahmudul Hasan, director of Bangladesh’s Export Promotion Bureau, told Arab News that there are plans to promote the organic practices behind the honey during future food fairs in the Gulf region.
“There is huge export potential for our mangrove honey in the Gulf countries, as Arab consumers are fond of honey. They just need to be assured of the quality in the production process,” he said.
“Our mangrove honey is undoubtedly an organic product. It has unique value, but the world is not very aware of it yet.”
