U.S.-Japan-Republic of Korea Trilateral Meeting

U.S.-Japan-Republic of Korea Trilateral Meeting

Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

July 1, 2013

Secretary Kerry held a productive trilateral meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and Republic of Korea (ROK) Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se on July 1 in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei to strengthen the already close cooperation among the three countries and exchange views on North Korea and a wide range of other regional and global issues.

The Ministers reviewed progress in trilateral cooperation and discussed ways to further enhance coordination based on our common values and interests in order to promote peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific and beyond.

The Ministers reaffirmed their insistence on North Korea's complete denuclearization and agreed to intensify efforts to persuade North Korea to take action to honor its commitments under the September 19, 2005 Joint Statement of the Six-Party Talks, particularly its core goal of verifiable denuclearization.

The Ministers also stressed the need for North Korea to come into compliance with the UN Security Council resolutions and agreed to strengthen cooperation with the international community to ensure full and transparent implementation of those resolutions.

The Ministers expressed their desire for improvement in inter-Korean relations and urged North Korea to take measures to resolve humanitarian issues, including the abductions issue and treatment of refugees returned to North Korea.

The Ministers confirmed that a better path remains open to North Korea and its people, and agreed that improved relations with the United States, Japan, and the ROK will be possible if North Korea takes concrete and meaningful steps toward denuclearization.

The Ministers committed to continue close consultations among the three and with China and Russia on North Korea and other issues of regional security.

The Ministers stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation to reinforce regional mechanisms including ASEAN, the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the East Asia Summit (EAS).

They also exchanged views on other regional and global issues such as Syria and the Middle East, and affirmed their strong commitment to strengthen our cooperation on these issues.

ENDS

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