US, Japan, ROK Set Up Joint Mechanism To Coordinate Shared Commitments

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) WASHINGTON, Nov 15 (KUNA) -- The leaders of the United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) announced on Friday the establishment of the Trilateral Secretariat responsible for coordinating and implementing "our shared commitments."
"This new secretariat will seek to ensure that the work we do together further aligns our objectives and actions to make the Indo-Pacific a thriving, connected, resilient, stable, and secure region," reads the joint statement of the leaders' summit.
The summit was "convened in the spirit of Camp David to commemorate the remarkable progress our three countries have made since our Trilateral Leaders' Summit in 2023," according to the statement.
"Japan, the ROK, and the United States stand united in our dedication to promote human rights, democracy, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.
"We remain determined to align our collective efforts to ensure the continued success of our peoples, the region, and the world.
"We remain steadfast in our support for a free and open rules-based international order. The actions that we take together will continue to bolster regional and global peace and security well into the future," reads the statement.
"We reaffirm our commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, consistent with UNSC resolutions.
"We commit to respond firmly to violations and evasions of DPRK-related UNSC resolutions as well as any attempt to undermine the global non-proliferation regime.
"Japan, the ROK, and the United States are committed to the work of the new Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team responsible for conducting comprehensive and effective sanctions monitoring and reporting efforts regarding UNSC sanctions on the DPRK.
"We express grave concern over the DPRK's illicit revenue generation methods, including its use of arms transfers, malicious cyber activities, and the dispatch of workers abroad, to fund its unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs.
"We are committed to expanding trilateral efforts to counter the DPRK's malicious cyber program and illicit revenue generation, including by collaborating to build capacity across the Indo-Pacific region to better protect against illicit DPRK activities.
"Our three countries continue to call for adherence to shared international norms and responsible behavior in the cyber domain to protect public critical infrastructure placed at risk by disruptive or destabilizing cyber activities.
"Prime Minister Ishiba and President Biden acknowledge their support for President Yoon's vision of a free, peaceful, and prosperous Korean Peninsula and reiterate their support for a unified Korean Peninsula that is free and at peace.
"With a clear recognition of the inextricable link between DPRK human rights issues and international peace and security, we promote the advancement of human rights in the DPRK and call for the immediate resolution of the issues of abductees, detainees, and unrepatriated prisoners of war.
"We reaffirm the importance of maintaining peace and stability throughout the Indo-Pacific region. We reaffirm our unwavering support for ASEAN centrality and unity and for the ASEAN-led regional architecture.
"We are committed to working closely with ASEAN to support robust implementation and mainstreaming of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific.
"We express concerns about illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, and we take this opportunity to announce a new Trilateral Maritime Security and Law Enforcement Cooperation Framework that will strengthen our cooperation on shared regional challenges and protect rules-based approaches to the maritime domain.--
"We are proud of the launch of a new quantum workforce program by IBM, in partnership with Japanese, Korean, and US universities, which aims to train 40,000 students over the next decade.
"We also welcome trilateral cooperation among our national research institutes, and we stress the significance of the successful launch of the Disruptive Technology Protection Network, which is essential for combatting illicit technology transfer.
"Japan, the ROK, and the United States also are expanding our cooperation on development and humanitarian assistance across the globe, including through a senior-level biennial policy dialogue. Together, Japan, the ROK, and the United States have expanded trilateral development assistance to the Philippines and Ukraine.
"We commit to further advance collaboration in critical sectors across the Philippines, including ports modernization, energy infrastructure, agribusiness, and large-scale transportation projects.
"We support trilateral digital infrastructure and telecommunications initiatives in Southeast Asia, including through the expansion of digital infrastructure using Open RAN approaches across the region," it added. (end)
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