Tokyo: Senior Japanese, US, and South Korean diplomats reaffirmed Friday that the robust alliances between Japan-US and US-South Korea, along with strategic coordination among the three countries, are the foundation for effective trilateral cooperation amid the increasingly severe strategic environment.
According to Kuwait News Agency, during their meeting in Tokyo, Japan's Senior Deputy Foreign Minister Takehiro Funakoshi, US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, and South Korea's First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo expressed serious concerns over North Korea's nuclear and missile development, as stated by Japan's Foreign Ministry in a release.
They also stressed their commitment toward the nation's complete denuclearization in accordance with the UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, the ministry added. Funakoshi, Landau, and Park renewed their intention to work closely together in addressing issues such as Russia-North Korea military cooperation and the North's malicious cyber activities, including cryptocurrency thefts, which fund its nuclear and missile programs.
The three officials shared their recognition that any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion in the region, including the East China Sea and the South China Sea, are unacceptable. In addition, they emphasized the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and pledged their close cooperation to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific.
As for economic security, they agreed to work closely to enhance supply chain resilience, including on critical minerals and protecting and promoting critical and emerging technologies. They also agreed to pursue the stability and prosperity of the Asia Pacific region by advancing tangible cooperation in areas such as security and economic security.