WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd May, 2021) Secretary of State Antony Blinken reaffirmed the US alliance with South Korea as he met his South Korean counterpart in London for talks on Indo-Pacific security and Washington's new policy toward Pyongyang, State Department spokesperson Ned price said on Monday.
"Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Chung [Eui-yong] reaffirmed that the US-ROK Alliance is the linchpin of peace, security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and the world," Price said.
The meeting, held on the sidelines of the G-7 foreign ministers summit, comes after the White House last week said it had concluded a months-long review of its policy toward North Korea.
"I am very pleased to have this opportunity to have in-depth discussions with the US after the conclusion of your policy review for North Korea," Chung said ahead of his meeting with Blinken.
During the talks, Blinken and Chung emphasized their commitment to collaborate on shared security goals, including trilateral cooperation with Japan toward the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, Price said.
Blinken and his counterpart also noted the importance of cooperation to address the global threats of COVID-19 and the climate crisis, Price said.
�White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Friday said that under the new US policy toward North Korea, Washington would continue to pursue the denuclearization of the peninsula but would not focus on achieving "a grand bargain."
