Countries & Regions

On July 1, commencing at 3:40 p.m. (local time) for approximately 40 minutes, on the margins of the ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers’ Meetings in Brunei, Minister for Foreign Affairs Fumio Kishida hosted the Japan-U.S.-ROK Trilateral Foreign Ministers’ Meeting with the attendance of H.E. John Kerry, Secretary of State of the United States, and H.E. Yun Byung-se, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea. The overview of the meeting is as follows (The previous meeting was held in New York on September 29, 2012).

1. General Remarks

   The three ministers welcomed the steady advance of trilateral cooperation, and shared the view that it is important to continue to further develop Japan-U.S.-ROK trilateral cooperation on a variety of regional and global issues including in the field of security, based on common values and interests shared by the three countries, in order to contribute to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region and the world.

2. North Korea

   (1) The three ministers reaffirmed their commitment to the 2005 Six-Party Talks Joint Statement. They also reaffirmed the importance of North Korea’s compliance of the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions, and that of continuing cooperation with the international community in order to implement those resolutions fully with transparency.

   (2) In addition, the three sides shared the view that they would not have a dialogue for the sake of a dialogue with North Korea, that it is important for North Korea to take concrete and meaningful actions to demonstrate a serious intention of denuclearization, and that should North Korea take such actions a different path would be open to the improvement of relations with the three countries. The three ministers also shared the view that they will continue to closely coordinate toward the resolution of the issues related to North Korea, and that they will cooperate with China and Russia as well.

   (3) Minister Kishida stated that the Abe administration is determined to resolve the abductions issue completely, and gained the understanding from the U.S. and the ROK.

3. Regional and Global Issues

   The three ministers exchanged opinions on regional and global issues such as the situation in Syria and Middle East peace process, and they affirmed that they will continue to closely coordinate in coping with these matters as well.