Washington, DC - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, and Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono convened the second U.S.-India-Japan ministerial-level trilateral dialogue on September 18 on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The ministers discussed the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific region underpinned by a resilient, rules-based architecture that enables every nation to prosper. The ministers also affirmed the importance of the freedoms of navigation and overflight and the free flow of lawful commerce in the region and around the globe, including in the South China Sea. The ministers affirmed and applauded the international community’s firm resolve to oppose the DPRK’s unlawful acts, as reflected in UN Security Council Resolution 2375, and called for continuing international action to curtail the DPRK’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs. The ministers expressed their commitment to maintaining regular dialogue among their three governments on topics of shared concern and to expand cooperation on regional connectivity, maritime security and humanitarian assistance/disaster relief.