U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, center, Japanese Foreign Minister, Koichiro Gemba and Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan, right, pose for photographers while attending a meeting in New York, on Friday, Sept. 28, 2012.
“Our alliances with Japan and the Republic of Korea are cornerstones of peace and prosperity in the [Asia-Pacific] region"
“Our alliances with Japan and the Republic of Korea are cornerstones of peace and prosperity in the [Asia-Pacific] region and each of these countries represents an enormous success story about what can happen when nations are focused on peace and stability and giving more opportunities to their own people and developing good relationships with their neighbors.” U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said recently before her trilateral meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba and Republic of Korea Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan in New York City.
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U.S.-Japan-South Korea Meeting
Japan and the Republic of Korea are both close allies of the United States, and the three nations share common democratic values and common interests such as promoting democracy and respect for human rights, as well as working towards peace and stability regionally and across the globe.
The United States continues to coordinate closely with Japan and the Republic of Korea on matters related to North Korea.
“Our three nations share a strong interest in the peaceful, verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” Secretary Clinton said. “We will discuss . . . what further steps we can take toward that goal.”
On North Korea, the United States has emphasized unity with our allies and partners in the region as the best way to maintain peace and security and avoid further provocative behavior by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Other issues discussed at the trilateral meeting were the territorial disputes in the region. Secretary Clinton stressed that peace and security in Asia is best maintained by peaceful dialogue among the parties. The United States will continue to encourage direct diplomacy but will not play a mediating role.
On Burma, all three countries are strongly supporting the reform efforts now underway in Burma.
And on global issues, such as Iran and Syria, all three countries reaffirmed support for the dual-track strategy of diplomacy and pressure on Iran, and the importance of maintaining pressure on the Assad regime while supporting the opposition in Syria.
It is a top priority of the United States to maintain close cooperation with Japan and South Korea on these, and many other important regional and global issues. As Secretary Clinton emphasized, “every nation in the region has a responsibility to work to resolve disputes peacefully, lower tensions, [and] promote regional security and stability.”