By Gizem Nisa Cebi
ISTANBUL (AA) — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held pivotal meetings Thursday with his counterparts from South Korea, Japan, and Canada on the margins of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.
Discussions spanned regional security, economic collaboration, and pressing global issues, according to a series of press releases by the Department of State on Thursday.
Meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, Blinken affirmed the alliance between the two countries as "a linchpin of peace, security, and prosperity for the Indo-Pacific region and beyond."
The two sides' "strong concerns" over deepening military ties between North Korea and Russia were on the agenda, including the alleged deployment of North Korean troops to support Moscow's war against Ukraine.
They also discussed ways to strengthen cooperation ahead of South Korea's role as host of next year's APEC summit.
- Strengthening US-Japan alliance
In a meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi, Blinken emphasized that the US-Japan alliance remains "the cornerstone of security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific" and has matured into "a truly global partnership."
The two top diplomats condemned North Korea’s Oct. 31 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test launch and its reported deployment of troops to Russia, which neither Pyongyang nor Moscow have confirmed.
They also discussed advancing partnerships through forums such as the G7, the Quad with Australia and India, and the US-Japan-Philippines trilateral bloc.
Blinken also reiterated the US stance on avoiding conflict across the Taiwan Strait and opposing unilateral changes to the region’s status quo.
- US-Canada partnership on critical global issues
Secretary Blinken's dialogue with Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly highlighted the strategic partnership between the US and Canada.
Blinken stressed the urgency of finalizing a modernized Columbia River Treaty, a crucial agreement for water resource management.
The leaders also addressed security and stability in Haiti, resolving the Middle East crisis, and Arctic security.