The top diplomats of South Korea and the United States will hold talks in Washington on Wednesday to discuss “destabilizing” acts by North Korea, trilateral cooperation with Japan and other issues, the State Department said.
Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken are set to hold their first bilateral in-person meeting since Cho took office last month, amid concerns that Pyongyang could undertake provocations ahead of parliamentary elections in South Korea in April and the U.S. presidential vote in November.
“They will certainly discuss cooperation on a number of issues in the region, destabilizing acts by North Korea, and of course the trilateral partnership between the United States, Korea and Japan,” Matthew Miller, the department’s spokesperson, told a pres briefing.
Asked if the two sides will also discuss security aid for Ukraine, Miller refused to preview the meeting before it happens.
“We have, of course, encouraged a number of allies and partners around the world t
o step up and provide security assistance to Ukraine,” he said.
“The way we see it is that every country has different capabilities, different ways that they can step up and help and so we have engaged in the process to try and match up the needs that Ukraine has with different capabilities that other countries can make,” he added.
Cho and Blinken were expected to discuss ways to reinforce the allies’ efforts to deter North Korean threats and strengthen cooperation for economic security under a joint effort to enhance the two countries’ “global comprehensive strategic alliance,” Seoul officials have said.
They could also touch on ongoing joint efforts to establish a robust nuclear deterrence mechanism through the two countries’ Nuclear Consultative Group, a key body to discuss nuclear and strategic planning issues.
Source: Yonhap News Agency