Washington, Sep 21 (EFE).- The meeting between United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the foreign ministers of Japan and South Korea, Toshimitsu Motegi and Cho Hyun on Monday was centered on North Korea’s nuclear program, the possibility of initiating new dialogue with Pyongyang, and Beijing’s policies on trade and Taiwan.
At the meeting, held in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, the three countries once again underscored their “resolute commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” according to a joint statement released by the State Department.
They also highlighted the importance of continuing to strengthen the Security Council’s sanctions, which have been weakened since Russia allowed the monitoring mechanism for these restrictions, designed to prevent Pyongyang from financing its weapons programs, to expire in 2024.
However, they reaffirmed that “that the path to dialogue remains open” with North Korea, a possibility that has gained momentum after US President Donald Trump scaled back joint military exercises with South Korea in an effort to encourage a new round of talks with Kim, which have been suspended for over five years.
Once again, Rubio, Motegi, and Cho emphasized “maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” just days before Trump is set to host Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the White House.
They advocated for a peaceful resolution of issues related to the strait and expressed their opposition to any attempt to unilaterally alter the “status quo” in Taiwan, a self-governing island that Beijing considers a breakaway territory it must reclaim.
The foreign ministers of these three countries also sent a message to the Chinese government on export policies and rare earths restrictions.
In this regard, they expressed their firm stance “against economic coercion and non-market policies and practices (NMPPs) leading to harmful overcapacity and market distortion, including arbitrary export restrictions that disrupt supply chains.”
At a time marked by instability in the East Asian energy landscape, which has been severely affected by restrictions on the flow of hydrocarbons through the Strait of Hormuz, the diplomats committed to strengthening the resilience of the regional supply, “increasing oil stockpiles and promoting collaboration between producing and consuming countries.” EFEasb/mcd
