By Alfred Acenas
EBC Hawaii-Pacific Bureau
HONOLULU (Eagle News) – U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken completed his visits to Australia, Fiji, and Hawaii from February 7 to 13; engaging with allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region with the goals to advance peace, resilience, and prosperity across the region; and to demonstrate that such partnerships deliver.
During his first stop in Australia, Secretary Blinken attended the fourth Quad Foreign Ministers Ministerial Meeting in Melbourne, hosted by Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne. He also met with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Hayashi Yoshimasa, and Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, along with other senior officials to discuss a range of bilateral and global priorities. The Secretary also engaged with students, scholars, and technology leaders in Melbourne.
Through a joint statement, Blinken and his counterparts assured their countries that they will continue to deliver results by advancing cooperation on COVID-19 vaccination delivery, humanitarian assistance/disaster relief, maritime security, counter-terrorism, cybersecurity, countering disinformation, climate change, and critical and emerging technologies.
While in Fiji, Secretary Blinken met with Pacific Island leaders to discuss the climate crisis, ending the COVID-19 pandemic, disaster assistance, and ways to further their shared commitment to democracy, regional solidarity, and prosperity in the Pacific. This was the first visit to Fiji by a Secretary of State since 1985.
Finally in Hawaii on February 12, Secretary Blinken hosted Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi and Republic of Korea Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong for a U.S.-Japan-Republic of Korea Trilateral Ministerial Meeting at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Waikiki.
They discussed deepening their cooperation and commitment in light of the recent aggression by North Korea, as well as the ongoing challenges in navigating freely through the region’s air and sea lines of communication.
“We condemn the DPRK’s [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s] recent ballistic missile launches and its unlawful nuclear and ballistic programs, which are clear violations of UN Security Council resolutions,” said Blinken.
“Our economic security also depends on upholding the rules of the road that have enabled decades of unprecedented security for our people and prosperity across the region and around the world,” the Secretary added. “This includes ensuring that our workers and businesses can compete on a fair and level playing field, and protecting freedom of navigation and overflight, including in the South and East China Seas.”
(Eagle News Service)