The top diplomats of South Korea, the US and Japan reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea and the full implementation of UN Security Council resolutions during trilateral talks on Friday.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi on the sidelines of the Group of 20 meeting in Atlanta, US, according to the countries’ foreign ministries. The talks marked their first trilateral meeting in about a month.
The three ministers reaffirmed their “resolute commitment to the complete denuclearization” of North Korea and the full implementation of UN Security Council resolutions, including measures prohibiting activities that generate revenue for North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, the State Department said.
The ministers also praised the work of the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team, which tracks and reports violations and evasion of UN sanctions against Pyongyang.
Cho, meanwhile, stressed that South Korea would continue to play a “pacemaker” role in efforts to resume dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang and establish a lasting peace regime on the Korean Peninsula, working in close coordination with the US.
Beyond North Korea, the three diplomats underscored the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, according to the State Department.
Rubio also raised concerns over China’s actions in the South China Sea, East China Sea and Yellow Sea, as well as cooperation between China and Russia that threatens peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
On economic security, the ministers shared concerns over vulnerabilities across global supply chains, including those highlighted by the global energy crisis, amid persistent international uncertainty.
They agreed to deepen cooperation in diversifying critical mineral supply chains, developing small modular reactors and advancing artificial intelligence and other critical and emerging technologies.
The three countries also signed a memorandum of cooperation establishing the Trilateral Arctic Pacific Partnership, aimed at expanding maritime and economic cooperation in the Pacific Arctic region.
sahn@heraldcorp.com
