US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and foreign ministers from Japan and South Korea on Saturday committed to work together to deter further Russian escalation along Ukraine’s border, and condemned North Korea’s recent ballistic missile launches.
Blinken and his counterparts also underscored the importance of maintaining stability in the Taiwan Strait.
Blinken, Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Yoshimasa Hayashi and South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Chung Eui-yong stressed the “critical importance” of strong cooperation among their countries for regional stability, they said in a joint statement after wide-ranging talks in Hawaii.
Photo: Reuters
The officials discussed the Russian military buildup along Ukraine’s borders and their “unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the statement said.
The US Department of State has ordered “non-emergency US employees” to depart the embassy in Ukraine’s capital, Kiev, and suspended consular services there.
Russia has repeatedly rejected charges it plans to invade Ukraine, accusing NATO of threatening its security by considering Ukrainian membership in the military alliance.
On North Korea, the three officials “expressed deep concern about the destabilizing nature” of Pyongyang’s recent ballistic missile launches, calling on it to cease unlawful activities and engage in dialogue.
“It is clear to all of us that the DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] is in a phase of provocation,” Blinken told a joint news conference after the meetings.
The US, Japan and South Korea are working closely to “achieve complete denuclearization and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula,” remain open to dialogue and are prepared to meet with North Korea without preconditions, the statement said.
They pledged to “intensify efforts” to end violence in Myanmar and supported efforts by ASEAN to resolve the country’s crisis.
The talks also focused on common approaches to address priorities such as the climate crisis, supply chains and global health security, including efforts to put an end to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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