Foreign
TOP national security advisers of South Korea, U.S., and Japan would meet in Washington this week for talks on regional and foreign policy issues, the White House has announced,
U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan would join his South Korean and Japanese counterparts, Suh Hoon and Shigeru Kitamura for a trilateral dialogue on Friday (U.S. time) at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.
It will be the first of such three-way talks since the Joe Biden administration took office.
“This trilateral meeting provides an opportunity for our nations to consult on a wide range of regional issues and foreign policy priorities, including maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
“It will also address the COVID-19 pandemic as well as combat climate change,’’ the White House statement read.
The White House said the upcoming meeting reflects the importance the U.S. places on “broadening and deepening our cooperation on key issues and advancing our shared prosperity across a free and open Indo-Pacific.’’
At the meeting, the U.S. side is likely to share the result with South Korea and Japan of its policy review on North Korea and have final consultations before it released the details.
The U.S. said earlier that it was in the final stage of the review process.
Following the North’s missile inauguration last week, Biden said the U.S. would respond accordingly if the North escalates tension, adding that he was also prepared for “some form of diplomacy.’’
The denuclearisation talks remain stalled after the Hanoi summit between former U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ended without a deal.
The security advisers could also discuss the intensifying Sino-U.S. rivalry and the protracted row between Seoul and Tokyo over wartime history and trade.
The upcoming security talks come after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited the two Asian allies earlier this month.
The Biden administration has been keen on strengthening alliances to restore its global leadership.
It stressed that the three-way cooperation between the U.S., Korea, and Japan was essential for peace and prosperity in the region. (Yonhap/NAN)
– Mar. 31, 2021 @ 13:59 GMT
Tags: Japan to hold talks in Washington this week — White House Korea U.S
