Sidelines at UNGA: Hillary Clinton with Japanese FM Gemba and Korean FM Kim
Remarks With Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba and Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan Before Their Meeting
Remarks
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Waldorf Astoria Hotel
New York City
September 28, 2012
SECRETARY CLINTON: Welcome,
all of you here, and thank you for coming. As you can tell, we have a
lot of people and a very, very small room. But we are with two close
allies united by so many common interests and values. This is the fourth
meeting that we’ve had in the past two years, including most recently
this summer on the margins of the ASEAN Regional Forum in Phnom Penh,
Cambodia.
Our three nations share a strong interest in the
peaceful, verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. We will
discuss today what further steps we can take toward that goal. We will
also discuss how every nation in the region has a responsibility to work
to resolve disputes peacefully, lower tensions, promote regional
security and stability.
Our alliances with Japan and the Republic
of Korea are cornerstones of peace and prosperity in the region and each
of these countries represent an enormous success story about what can
happen when nations are focused on peace and stability and giving more
opportunities to their own people and developing good relationships with
their neighbors. We will maintain close cooperation between the three
of us. That is a top priority for the United States, and I’m delighted
to be here with my friends and colleagues. Both ministers, Minister
Gemba and Minister Kim, are people with whom I work closely, and I look
forward to our discussion today.
Thank you.
