US Defense Secretary Mark Esper met with Japanese counterpart Taro Kono on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers meeting in Thailand and discussed a rules-based order in the East and South China Sea, the Defense Department said in a statement on Monday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th November, 2019) US Defense Secretary Mark Esper met with Japanese counterpart Taro Kono on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers meeting in Thailand and discussed a rules-based order in the East and South China Sea, the Defense Department said in a statement on Monday."Secretary Esper and Minister Kono recommitted to maintaining a free and open region and a rules-based order in the East and South China Sea, and more broadly in the region and world," the statement said.
Esper and Kono reaffirmed during the meeting the commitment to the US-Japan alliance as a cornerstone for peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region, the statement said.
With respect to North Korea, Esper and Kono emphasized the importance of Pyongyang abandoning its ballistic missile and weapons of mass destruction.
"Secretary Esper reiterated the US commitment to achieve the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea and complete abandonment of all weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles," the statement said.
Esper welcomed Japan's efforts to strengthen cooperation with other partners in the region in addition to the United States.
