US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis met with 10 ASEAN counterparts on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting-Plus in the Philippines on October 23, in which mutual security challenges and multilateral defense cooperation are among the agendas they discussed.

Mattis stressed the need for continued cooperation in the international community to apply greater diplomatic and economic pressure on North Korea to fully implement all UN Security Council resolutions.

The participants in the meetings also‎ emphasized the need for continued ASEAN unity to address shared security challenges facing Southeast Asia and the broader Indo-Pacific.

The secretary and all counterparts discussed the need to increase cooperation on countering violent extremism to stem the threat posed from groups including Islamic State, and they addressed the threat posed by returning foreign fighters.

Mattis emphasized that the United States seeks to increase the scope and complexity of exercises, and that is “working with like-minded partners to help build maritime security capacity in the region”.

He offered continued cooperation in maritime domain awareness and information-sharing to address common threats to regional security.

Along with Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera, and South Korean Minister of National Defense Song Young-moo, Mattis convened the 9th Trilateral Defense Ministerial Meeting in Clark, Philippines on October 23 on the margins of the 2017 Association of Southeast Asian Nations Defense Ministerial Meeting Plus.

During the meeting, they held substantive discussions on North Korea, the regional security situation, and deepening security cooperation. The three Ministers condemned in the strongest terms on North Korea’s continued provocative actions.

They affirmed that North Korea’s two recent missile launches that overflew Japan and its September 3, 2017 nuclear test constitute an unprecedented and grave threat to their countries as well as to the rest of the world.

The three ministers resolved to strengthen international coordination to ensure the fast and full implementation of relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.

The Ministers urged North Korea to abandon its unlawful nuclear and ballistic missile programs to cease additional provocative actions that only increase tensions in the region.

They also pledged to cooperate to support diplomatic efforts to resolve North Korean nuclear issue.