The governments of the United States, Japan and South Korea "reaffirm their commitment to institutionalizing trilateral cooperation" in the face of growing military ties between Pyongyang and Moscow. This was announced by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Japanese and South Korean counterparts, Yoko Kamikawa and Cho Tae Yul respectively, in a meeting on the sidelines of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
"The three foreign ministers discussed the need for close coordination in responding to the intensifying military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, which threatens the stability of Northeast Asia and Europe," reads a statement from spokesman Matthew Miller. They also rejected "any unilateral attempt to change the status quo" in the Indo-Pacific seas, referring to China's territorial disputes with other countries in the South China Sea. Finally, they assured that their position on the Taiwan issue "remains unchanged", insisting on the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait as "an indispensable element for the security and prosperity of the international community".
