US, Japan reaffirm commitment to North Korea’s ‘complete denuclearisation’

Washington, June 11 (IANS) The United States and Japan reiterated their commitment to the “complete denuclearisation” of North Korea and rejected Russia’s notion that Pyongyang’s pursuit of nuclear arms was a “closed” issue, as they held key defence talks in Tokyo this week, according to a joint statement.

The allies held the bilateral Extended Deterrence Dialogue at Japan’s foreign ministry on Monday and Tuesday as they seek to reinforce security cooperation in the face of China’s growing assertiveness and North Korea’s advancing nuclear and ballistic missile threats, reports Yonhap news agency.

“They reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearisation of the DPRK,” the joint statement read. DPRK is short for North Korea’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

It added, “Both delegations discussed China’s dramatic and opaque nuclear weapons buildup and rejected Russia’s notion that the DPRK’s pursuit of nuclear weapons was a closed issue.”

During the defence talks, the two sides discussed US efforts to modernise and adapt US nuclear forces, as well as Japan’s defence policy and capabilities, “due to increasing regional nuclear threats,” according to the statement.

Japan encouraged the US pursuit of multilateral “strategic stability” talks to help avert a nuclear arms race, address concerns about nuclear testing, reduce nuclear risks, and bolster transparency, including through arms control dialogues with China and Russia, it said.

The US State Department and Defence Department, and Japan’s foreign and defence ministries, co-chaired the meeting, which included participants from the Japan Joint Staff, US Joint Staff, US Strategic Command, US Indo-Pacific Command and US Forces Japan.

Meanwhile, Howard Solomon, charge d’affaires ad interim at the US Mission to International Organisations in Vienna, Austria, reiterated Washington’s commitment to North Korea’s denuclearisation during the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) board of governors meeting on Tuesday,

“Statements and actions by some to state that these programs are a ‘closed issue’ are unacceptable and undermine the nonproliferation regime,” he said, according to a transcript from the US mission’s website.

“We continue to consult closely with the Republic of Korea, Japan, and others to deter DPRK aggression, and we remain committed to the complete denuclearisation of the DPRK,” he added, referring to South Korea by its official name.

He underscored that the US remains “gravely concerned” about North Korea’s ongoing nuclear activities.

“The DPRK continues to advance its destabilising weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs in violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions. These programs pose a threat to America, our allies, and others, and undermine security in the region,” he said.

Moreover, he pointed out that Pyongyang unveiled purportedly new centrifuges for producing weapons-grade nuclear material last week, announcing plans to expand its nuclear forces “at an exponential rate.”

–IANS

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