New Delhi: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken on Monday met Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu in London, as the leaders are attending the first in-person G7 foreign ministers meeting from May 3-5.
India's External Affairs Minister Jaishankar is also there to attend the meet. Jaishankar is slated to meet Blinken on the sidelines of the meet.
Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Motegi emphasized the importance of the U.S.-Japan alliance for promoting peace, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and the world, said US state department spokesman Ned Price.
The G7 meeting provides an opportunity to reinvigorate in-person diplomacy and will help establish a shared approach among the leading democracies of the world.
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Both the leaders also highlighted the importance of U.S.-Japan cooperation to address the global threats from COVID-19 and the climate crisis, while also advancing the free and open rules-based international order, the US State Department added.
Additionally, Blinken and Motegi shared their concerns about North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs and reaffirmed their commitment to address and resolve these issues through U.S.-Japan-Republic of Korea trilateral cooperation towards denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
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Further, the Secretary also reiterated the U.S. commitment to the immediate resolution of the abductions issue, and they discussed the urgent need to put Burma on the path back towards democracy and to hold the military junta to account.
Additional countries will join as guests at the meeting, including Australia, India, South Africa, the Republic of Korea, and Brunei in its capacity as Chair of ASEAN.
Blinken also appreciated UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab's invitation and the opportunity to engage directly with our partners and allies. These meetings will lay the groundwork for the 46th Leaders’ Summit in Cornwall in June.
