Top diplomats of Korea, U.S., Japan to meet on sidelines of NATO summit

The top diplomats of South Korea, the United States and Japan plan to meet in Ankara, Turkey, on Tuesday for talks on North Korea-related issues, regional and global affairs and ways to strengthen trilateral security and economic cooperation, Seoul’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun is scheduled to hold trilateral talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi in Ankara on the sidelines of the NATO summit later in the day, according to the ministry.

The NATO leaders’ summit will take place in Turkey on Tuesday and Wednesday. Cho is accompanying President Lee Jae Myung, who will attend the gathering at the invitation of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

The trilateral talks will be the first since the three top diplomats last met on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in the southeastern South Korean city of Gyeongju in October last year.

As Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is expected to skip this year’s NATO summit, a three-way summit among Lee, U.S. President Donald Trump and Takaichi is not expected to take place, making the ministerial meeting an opportunity to reaffirm the momentum of trilateral cooperation, officials said.

The ministers are expected to explore ways to further strengthen three-way cooperation following mounting geopolitical challenges, including the Middle East crisis, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and disruptions of global supply chains.

The meeting also comes as North Korea, China and Russia have been deepening diplomatic, economic and security cooperation in recent years, raising concerns among Washington and its allies about a shifting security landscape in Northeast Asia and beyond.

South Korea is also expected to seek bilateral high-level talks with the United States and other partner nations on the sidelines of the NATO summit to discuss pending issues, including security consultations and other bilateral matters.

Yonhap