The top diplomats of South Korea and the United States “strongly” condemned on Friday the agreement between Russia and North Korea to expand military and economic cooperation in their new bilateral partnership treaty, calling it a serious threat to peace and security.
Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul spoke by phone with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and discussed ways to respond to the outcome of the summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, the foreign ministry said.
The phone talks came as tensions are rising after Moscow and Pyongyang signed the treaty seen as a restoration of their Cold War-era alliance at their talks in Pyongyang earlier this week.
The treaty states that if either of the two gets invaded or put in a state of war, the other side will provide military and other assistance “with all means” at its disposal and “without delay.”
Cho and Blinken said that the agreement to strengthen mutual military and economic cooperation through the treaty
“poses a significant threat to the security of both South Korea and the United States,” and “seriously undermines peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the region,” the ministry said in a release.
“They strongly condemned this agreement,” it said.
Cho called for Seoul and Washington to work closely together and take the initiative for a stern response from the international community. Cho explained to Blinken countermeasures Seoul will take, such as additional sanctions on North Korea and export controls against Russia.
Blinken said that Washington will “consider various ways to respond” to the threats posed by Moscow and Pyongyang in relation to the peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and beyond.
Blinken also said that the U.S. “actively supports South Korea’s fair actions” against security threats.
The two sides also agreed to make efforts to strengthen the extended deterrence and the trilateral security cooperation with Japan in order to better cope with the North’s nuclear and mi
ssile threats.
Source: Yonhap News Agency