미국 "한·일 '위안부 조기타결' 협의 가속화 합의 환영"

Published : Nov 3, 2015 - 09:42 Updated : Nov 3, 2015 - 09:42

미국 국무부는 2일(현지시간) 한국과 일본이 정상회담을 통해 일본군 위안부 문제를 조기 타결하기 위한 협의를 가속화해 나가기로 한데 대해 환영 입장을 표명했다.

엘리자베스 트뤼도 국무부 공보국장은 이날 정례브리핑에서 한·일 정상회담 결과에 대한 평가를 묻는 질문에 이같이 답변했다.

트뤼도 국장은 또 지난 1일 서울에서 개최된 한·일·중 정상회의와 관련해 "우리는 3국 정상회담을 환영하며 관계증진을 위한 노력을 지지한다"며 "3국의 강력하고 건설적인 관계가 역내 평화와 안정에 기여한다고 믿는다"고 밝혔다.

박근혜 대통령과 아베 신조 일본 총리, 리커창 중국 총리는 1일 청와대에서 3국 정상회의를 가진 뒤 '동북아 평화협력을 위한 공동선언'을 채택했다. 박 대통령은 이와 별도로 2일 청와대에서 취임 이후 처음으로 아베 총리와 양자 정상회담을 가졌다. (연합)

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U.S. welcomes Park-Abe agreement on sexual slavery issue

The United States on Monday welcomed an agreement between South Korean President Park Geun-hye and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to accelerate negotiations between the two countries to resolve the issue of Tokyo's wartime sexual slavery.

"We welcome reports that President Park and President Abe agreed to accelerate their efforts to resolve this sensitive issue," Elizabeth Trudeau, a State Department spokeswoman, said at a regular press briefing, declining to discuss details.

The Park-Abe meeting marked the first bilateral summit between the two countries in about three and a half years. The U.S. is believed to have watched the meeting closely as a gauge of whether the badly frayed relations between the two American allies would improve.

Sour relations between the two allies have been a key cause for concern for the U.S. as it seeks to bolster three-way security cooperation, seen as a pillar of President Barack Obama's "pivot to Asia," aimed in part at reining in China.

The meeting was held on the sidelines of a trilateral summit that also involved Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, which marked the resumption of three-way cooperation talks that have been suspended since 2012 due to history and territorial tensions.

The three leaders agreed to increase cooperation, especially on efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue.

Trudeau also welcomed a series of meetings among the three countries.

"We welcome the meetings of the leaders of Japan, the Republic of Korea and China in Seoul. We support their efforts to improve relations among the three countries," she said. "We believe strong and constructive relations between South Korea, Japan, and China support regional peace and prosperity, which serves our interests and the interests of the region."

Asked whether the U.S. wants to see the three countries hold such meetings regularly, the spokeswoman said it is a decision "for those three nations to take." (Yonhap)