Regional Security and Economic Cooperation on the Agenda
The top diplomats of South Korea, the United States, and Japan will convene in Manila this week to discuss key issues related to North Korea, enhance trilateral security cooperation, and explore ways to boost economic ties.
According to Seoul’s foreign ministry, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun is scheduled to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi on Wednesday on the sidelines of a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-related ministerial meetings in the Philippine capital.
The upcoming meeting comes approximately two weeks after the three ministers held talks on the sidelines of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Ankara on July 7.
Key Issues on the Agenda
During their trilateral meeting, the ministers are expected to discuss a range of critical issues, including North Korea’s nuclear program, ways to enhance trilateral security cooperation, and the Middle East crisis and other regional and global developments.
The three countries are also likely to reaffirm their commitment to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and pledge to continue efforts to pursue dialogue with Pyongyang.
In addition to security concerns, the ministers will also focus on economic cooperation, including the acceleration of the deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs) in third countries, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region.
A memorandum of cooperation (MOC) signed by the three countries in July aims to establish a framework for cooperation on SMRs, with a view to promoting peaceful and sustainable energy development in the region.
ASEAN-Related Meetings and Bilateral Talks
During his two-day visit to the Philippines, Foreign Minister Cho will attend a series of ASEAN-related meetings, including the Korea-ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting, the ASEAN Plus Three ministerial meeting involving South Korea, Japan, and China, the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) foreign ministers’ meeting, and the East Asia Summit (EAS) foreign ministers’ meeting.
During these meetings, Cho is expected to reaffirm Seoul’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with ASEAN and explain the Seoul government’s efforts to promote peaceful coexistence and shared prosperity on the Korean Peninsula.
On the sidelines of the multilateral gatherings, Cho also plans to hold bilateral talks with his counterparts from Australia, Thailand, New Zealand, Brunei, and the Philippines.
Seoul is also coordinating separate bilateral talks with the U.S., Japan, and China on the fringes of the meetings.
