Countries & Regions

On July 6, commencing at 7:35 p.m. (local time) for approximately 75 minutes, Mr. Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, on the occasion of his attendance at the G20 Hamburg Summit, held a Japan-U.S.-Republic of Korea (ROK) Trilateral Summit Meeting with the Honorable Donald Trump, President of the United States of America, and Mr. Moon Jae-in, President of the ROK, at the U.S. Consulate General Hamburg, the first Japan-U.S.-ROK Trilateral Summit Meeting to be held since the two presidents were inaugurated. The overview of the meeting is as follows. (The meeting was attended on the Japanese side by Mr. Kotaro Nogami, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary, and others; on the U.S. side by the Honorable Rex Tillerson, Secretary of State, and others; and on the ROK side by Dr. Kang Kyung-wha, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and others.)

• Joint Statement from the United States of America, Republic of Korea, and Japan (PDF)

1. At the beginning, Prime Minister Abe stated that he hopes to make every effort for the peace and stability of the region and the international community in partnership with President Trump and President Moon. He also stated that North Korea is a top priority in the international agenda, and it is meaningful that the three leaders gathered together for this meeting. Prime Minister Abe explained that this is a historical opportunity for Japan, the United States and the ROK to share strategies for the abandonment of North Korea’s nuclear program, and that he hopes the three leaders will lead the international community’s efforts. Prime Minister Abe also stated that he hopes to develop the future-oriented cooperative relationship between Japan and the ROK and among Japan, the United States and the ROK in a broad range of fields, including the security field.
2. Following that, Prime Minister Abe stated that North Korea’s announcement that it had successfully launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on July 4 demonstrates that North Korea is a top priority in the international agenda, and in the wake of the latest launch, the international community needs to further strengthen pressure on North Korea. Prime Minister Abe expressed the view that holding dialogue for the sake of dialogue with North Korea is meaningless, and it is essential to put pressure on North Korea at this time to urge it to engage in dialogue seriously. Prime Minister Abe explained that Japan, the United States and the ROK should continue working closely together in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), toward the adoption of a new UNSC resolution that includes strict measures. Furthermore, Prime Minister Abe highlighted the importance of China’s role, and appreciated the sanctions the United States has decided to impose on Chinese entities and others. Prime Minister Abe also emphasized the importance of continued security cooperation between Japan and the ROK and among Japan, the United States and the ROK, and stated that he intends to further expand the scope of cooperation.
3. Prime Minister Abe sought the continued understanding and cooperation from the leaders of the United States and the ROK regarding the abductions issue, and obtained support from President Trump and President Moon.
4. The three leaders shared the view that: 1) the three countries will work closely to apply further pressure on North Korea; 2) the three countries will together to encourage China to play a greater role; and 3) Japan and the ROK will also coordinate with the United States with regard to the sanctions that the United States has imposed on Chinese entities and others.