US-Japan-S.Korea agree to further align export controls against Russia
At a meeting in Tokyo, the United States, Japan and South Korea have ‘agreed to further align on Russia controls, collaborate on outreach to countries in Southeast Asia, and cooperate on controls for critical and emerging technologies,’ South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (‘MOTIE’) has said. The talks were a follow-up to a meeting convened last August.
Thea D. Rozman Kendler, US Assistant Secretary of Commerce at the US Bureau of Industry and Security (‘BIS’), told the meeting, ‘Collaboration among like-minded allies and partners who share our values and security outlook on multilateral export controls is a longstanding priority for BIS.’
Katsuro Igari, a senior director at Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (‘METI’) pledged, ‘We will further strengthen our export controls by further exchanging best practices, including engagement in industry and academia.’
Meanwhile, Kamchan Kang, director-general of trade control policy at MOTIE, called the cooperation ‘crucial to respond to the changing global environment such as the instability of supply chains and export controls’ and urged greater collaboration on export controls with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (‘ASEAN’). ‘Export control engagement with ASEAN countries should be enhanced to prevent the diversion of dual-use items and maintain international peace,’ the MOTIE official said.
