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The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN reports that the United States of America U.S.A, Japan and South Korea have vowed to deter North Korea from carrying out further nuclear activities that threaten the security of the three countries and the world at large.

The decision was a key outcome of the U.S.-Japan-ROK (Republic of Korea) Trilateral Vice Foreign Ministerial Consultations in a statement issued on Thursday and obtained by a correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) from the U.S. Department of State.

“The U.S.-Japan-ROK Trilateral mechanism has established a durable framework for our three countries to leverage our collective strength to tackle the major challenges facing the region and, increasingly, to partner on global issues.

“Since the April 2015 inaugural meeting in Washington, DC, our three countries have coordinated responses to the growing nuclear and ballistic missile threat from North Korea, joined efforts to address a range of regional security issues.”

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Shinsuke Sugiyama, and First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea Lim Sung-nam met in Washington, DC, for the sixth round of Trilateral Vice Foreign Ministerial consultations.

The countries noted that North Korea’s illicit nuclear and ballistic missile programmes directly threatened the security of the U.S., Japan, and the ROK.

“Our three countries share the belief that the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearisation of North Korea remains the only viable option to safeguard peace and security.

“North Korea’s provocations only serve to deepen its isolation.

“We continue to work with partners and countries around the globe to ensure all countries fully and effectively implement all relevant UN Security Council Resolutions, including Resolutions 2270 and 2321, adopted in 2016 to respond to North Korea’s accelerated campaign to develop nuclear weapons and ballistic missile.”

They noted the broad international consensus that North Korea must refrain from its destabilising actions and rhetoric, and focus on honouring its international obligations and commitments.

“These sanctions, along with our close trilateral coordination on our respective new unilateral sanctions against North Korea, are the latest steps in our ongoing efforts to convince North Korea that the only path to the economic development and international recognition it claims to seek is by returning to credible and meaningful negotiations on denuclearisation.”

The trilateral consultations resolved to continue to call the international community’s attention to the North Korean regime’s systematic, widespread, and gross human rights violations and abuses, including those involving abductions, and to humanitarian issues such as reunions of separated families.

It regretted that North Korea’s nuclear programmes are funded at the cost of the well-being of the North Korean people, who suffer economic deprivation and horrific human rights abuses at the hands of the Kim Jong-Un regime.

They explained that three countries had been at the forefront of international efforts to draw attention to and address the deplorable human rights violations committed by North Korea.

Following North Korea’s unlawful nuclear tests and missile launches in 2016, diplomatic and defense officials from our three countries convened regular trilateral discussions to coordinate responses, they said.

The countries underscored that the U.S. remained steadfast in its defence commitments to Japan and the ROK, respectively, including through providing extended deterrence, backed by the full range of its nuclear and conventional defence capabilities, and to implement various measures commensurate with the evolving North Korean threat.

“The U.S. alliances with Japan and the ROK remain ironclad,” the trilateral consultations resolved.

“Committed to a better and safer world, our three countries recognise the impact our trilateral cooperation can have in advancing peace and security, countering the North Korean threat, and in tackling global challenges,” they said.

(NAN)