In US-Japan-PH trilateral summit, North Korea and Russia get called out too

Apr 12, 2024 10:51 AM PHT

SUMMARY

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

In US-Japan-PH trilateral summit, North Korea and Russia get called out too

INAUGURAL SUMMIT. US President Joe Biden hosts Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for a trilateral summit at the White House in Washington, US, April 11, 2024.

Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

In a landmark summit expected to zoom in on China's aggression in the South China Sea, the US, Japan, and the Philippines also take time to sound the alarm over Russia and North Korea's nuclear activities

MANILA, Philippines – Not only China but also North Korea and Russia got the short end of the stick during the landmark summit between the Philippines, the US, and Japan in Washington on Friday, April 12 (Manila time).

While the event was largely expected to condemn Beijing’s harassment tactics in the South China Sea, participants of the trilateral summit also called out Pyongyang and Moscow for their nuclear activities.

“Our three nations affirm our commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and strongly condemn the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) escalatory threats and unprecedented number of ballistic missile launches, including multiple intercontinental ballistic missile launches, which pose a grave threat to peace and security,” said the trilateral summit’s joint vision statement.

The Marcos administration has repeatedly condemned North Korea’s activities. Just last December, he warned about Pyongyang’s actions that “destabilize the region and the world” during a friendship summit between Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

“We strongly urge the DPRK to comply with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, and refrain from continued development, testing, and transfer of ballistic missiles to any country, including Russia, which has used these missiles against Ukraine,” the joint statement added.

Moscow’s ties with Pyongyang have deepened since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. North Korea has delivered rockets to Russia, and sent workers to its fellow authoritarian power.

“As we continue to affirm our commitment to international law, including the United Nations Charter, we reiterate our unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders,” the joint statement also said.

“Russia’s threats of nuclear weapon use in the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are unacceptable, and we state unequivocally that any use of a nuclear weapon by Russia in Ukraine would be completely unjustifiable,” it added. – Rappler.com