Top News Two Koreas, U.N. Command wrap up first session of talks on disarming border Reuters North, South agree to break ground on inter-Korean railroad NBC News US diplomat headed to Moscow for North Korea meeting The Washington Examiner Do Nuclear Weapons Matter? (Series) Foreign Affairs East Asia Two Koreas, U.N. Command wrap up first session of talks on disarming border Reuters10/16/18 North and South Korea held their first three-way talks with the United Nations Command (UNC) on Tuesday to discuss ways to demilitarize the border as the neighbors push for peace, Seoul’s defense ministry said. The two sides agreed this week to begin reconnecting rail and road links, in spite of U.S. concerns that a rapid thaw in relations could undermine efforts to press North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons. Talks Begin on Disarming Korean Border Village New York Times10/16/18 Officials from North and South Korea and the United Nations began talks on Tuesday to turn a border village into an unarmed neutral enclave where military guards and tourists from both sides would move freely across the demarcation line. North, South agree to break ground on inter-Korean railroad NBC News10/15/18 North and South Korea continued their push for peace Monday with high-level talks that resulted in a host of agreements, including a plan by the rivals for a groundbreaking ceremony this year on an ambitious project to connect their railways and roads. The agreements come amid unease in Washington over the speed of inter-Korean engagement. Russia/FSU/Europe France says it could help North Korea denuclearize if it sees real commitment Reuters10/15/18 France is ready to help in North Korea’s denuclearization efforts, but Pyongyang must first show some detailed commitments and real desire to dismantle its nuclear and ballistic arsenal, President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday. France, a nuclear power and permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, is not directly involved in talks between North Korea, South Korea and the United States to work toward the region’s denuclearization. South Asia India threatens strategic stability in South Asia: Pakistan President Arif Alvi Times of India10/15/18 Pakistan President Arif Alvi on Monday said that the strategic stability in South Asia is being threatened by the offensive posture and induction of lethal weapons by India. Alvi said that nobody should doubt Pakistan’s capability to defend its territorial integrity and sovereignty, Radio Pakistan reported. U.S. Nuclear Policy US diplomat headed to Moscow for North Korea meeting The Washington Examiner10/15/18 Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s top envoy for North Korea will travel to Moscow for meetings this week about the denuclearization process, officials with both sides confirmed Monday. “We will hold a full round of consultations on the situation on the Korean Peninsula,” Russian deputy foreign minister Igor Morgulov said Monday, according to state-run TASS. Stephen Biegun, the U.S. special representative for North Korea, will stop in Moscow Tuesday before heading west to Paris and Brussels. Opinion and Analysis Do Nuclear Weapons Matter? (Series) Foreign AffairsArticles by John Mueller, Nina Tannenwald, Elbridge Colby, Scott Sagan, Caitlin Talmadge, and Olga Oliker 10/15/18 Nearly three-quarters of a century into the atomic age, it is sobering to consider how little we really know. Do nuclear weapons truly matter, and if so, how and why? Should we worry about them more or less?