Foreign Ministers of US, Japan, South Korea discuss Indo-Pacific, North Korea

Honolulu [Hawaii], February 13 (ANI): US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa and South Korean Foreign Affairs Minister Chung Eui-yong met in Honolulu, Hawaii, to reaffirm the critical importance of strong trilateral cooperation to address the most pressing 21st Century challenges including free and open Indo-Pacific and North Korea's recent ballistic missile launches.
The US alliances with Seoul and Japan span decades, and our enduring friendship and shared values guide us in our efforts to achieve a prosperous and secure future.
The Secretary and Foreign Ministers emphasized their three countries share a common view of a free and open Indo-Pacific, which is inclusive, and shared respect for the rules-based international order and pledged to further expand their cooperative relationships. The Foreign Ministers welcomed the United States' newly released Indo-Pacific Strategy.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with the South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and reaffirmed their alliance in ensuring a peaceful, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.
The Secretary and Foreign Minister condemned the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (North Korea) recent ballistic missile launches, which were in violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions, and reaffirmed openness to diplomacy and dialogue with North Korea.
Secretary Blinken also shared concerns about Russia's efforts to destabilize Ukraine and emphasized the importance of responding swiftly, effectively, and in a united way to further Russian aggression, State Department in its official statement.
They highlighted shared commitment to combatting the COVID-19 pandemic, including through the United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS) Global Vaccine Partnership.
Both sides also affirmed bilateral cooperation in this decisive decade for action to combat the climate crisis and in today's most pressing global challenges.
The Secretary emphasized close cooperation with South Korea and other allies and partners towards the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Secretary Blinken reaffirmed the ironclad U.S. commitment to the defence of South Korea. The Secretary and the Foreign Minister discussed the need to deepen trilateral cooperation with Japan to address shared challenges.
On Burma, the Secretary stressed the importance of working with international partners to address human rights abuses and press the regime to cease the violence, release all those unjustly detained, allow unhindered humanitarian access, and restore Burma's path to democracy. (ANI)