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| ▲ This photo, taken on March 12, 2024, shows flags at the headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in Brussels. (Yonhap) |
US official-S Korea-NATO
U.S. official calls S. Korea, Japan 'good partners' in tackling Russia threats ahead of NATO summit
By Song Sang-ho
WASHINGTON, June 24 (Yonhap) -- A U.S. diplomat on Monday described South Korea and Japan as "good partners" in addressing threats from Russia as he explained the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)'s growing partnership with the Indo-Pacific as a focus of its summit in Washington next month.
James O'Brien, assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, made the remarks during a press briefing held to preview the NATO summit set to take place in the U.S. capital from July 9-11.
"We are doing this because the security concerns faced in the Indo-Pacific are very similar to those that are faced in NATO's Article 5 territory, and so it makes sense to share lessons and to work together against similar collective threats," he said during the briefing at the Foreign Press Center, referring to the NATO article on collective defense.
"Both Japan and Korea in particular have been very good partners in addressing the threat posed by Russia. So we anticipate the opportunity to share views on those subjects but also to build up the habit of cooperation and the practical areas of collaboration between NATO and our Indo-Pacific partners," he added.
South Korea is part of the transatlantic alliance's four Asia Pacific partners, which include Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
Seoul has deepened cooperation with NATO with the establishment of a diplomatic mission to the 32-member alliance in November 2022 and other collaborative efforts amid North Korea's persistent military threats, China's growing assertiveness and other challenges.
O'Brien used the briefing to highlight that Russia can sustain its war efforts due to China's support for Russia's defense industrial base as well as cooperation with North Korea and Iran.
"We've been open that the reason Russia is able to stay on the battlefield is that it receives considerable support from China. More than 70 percent of the machine tools that Russia uses to make its weaponry come from China. More than 90 percent of the electronics that show up on the battlefield come from China," he said.
"We'll continue to discuss this issue because it's clear that Russia fights only because China is able to help it and plus, the closer and closer cooperation Russia shows with Iran and North Korea," he added.
The diplomat also highlighted the "health" of the NATO, saying it is now "larger and more well resourced than ever in its history."
"With the addition of the considerable capacities of Sweden and Finland, NATO is at 32 member states today. We have also seen a great rise, the largest increase in military spending in the alliance's history since 2021, particularly since Russia's unprovoked further invasion of Ukraine in 2022," he said.
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