Quad joint statement omits reference to Korean Peninsula denuclearization
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, second from right, stands alongside Indo-Pacific Quad ministers, Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi, left, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, second from left, and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, during a photo opportunity before meetings at the State Department in Washington, D.C., Jan. 21. AFP-Yonhap
The joint statement of the first Quad foreign ministers' meeting since the launch of the Trump administration this week has not included what had mostly been a fixture: the reaffirmation of their commitment to the "complete" denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
The top diplomats of the United States, India, Japan and Australia released the statement on Tuesday following their first meeting in Washington since President Donald Trump was sworn in as the U.S.' 47th president on Monday.
The omission came after Trump and his Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth described North Korea as a "nuclear power," raising concerns in South Korea, a U.S. ally that seeks close policy coordination over the elusive yet crucial goal of the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Tuesday's relatively short statement consisted of two paragraphs. In it, the top diplomats mentioned their commitment to strengthening a "free and open" Indo-Pacific, and strongly opposed "any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion."
But it did not mention China or North Korea by name.
In most occasions, the Quad grouping included their commitment to the peninsula's denuclearization in its leaders' and foreign ministers' joint statements.
In the ministers' statement released in July, the officials reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of the peninsula consistent with relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions, and urged North Korea to abide by all its obligations under the resolutions and engage in "substantive" dialogue.
In their joint statement in 2023 and 2022, the top diplomats also reaffirmed the commitment.
The Quad leaders' joint statements released in recent years also included their commitment to the peninsula's denuclearization. (Yonhap)