WASHINGTON: Japanese Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol on Wednesday affirmed a policy of strengthening cooperation among their countries plus the United States in the face of North Korea’s deepening military ties with Russia.

In a meeting with Yoon in Washington, Kishida said, in light of the international situation, it is very significant for the leaders of Japan and South Korea to work closely together while maintaining a solid relationship of trust and having a shared awareness about strategic issues.

“The results of the recent North Korea-Russia summit are seriously worrying in terms of their impact on regional security,” Kishida said, apparently referring to a new strategic partnership treaty that was signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at their meeting in Pyongyang in June.

Yoon said the moves by Russia and North Korea to further deepen their military and economic ties have caused grave concerns over the security environment in East Asia and worldwide. Cooperation among South Korea, Japan and the United States is important, the president added.

Also in their talks that lasted some 35 minutes, Kishida and Yoon agreed to accelerate efforts to improve Japan-South Korea relations toward the 60th anniversary next year of the normalization of the two countries’ diplomatic ties.

They are visiting Washington to attend a NATO summit as leaders of Indo-Pacific partner nations.

JIJI Press