Page 73 - 2018 Defense White Paper

science and technology cooperation contributes greatly to defense capabilities and the interoperability
of the Alliance and resolved to continue to lean forward in identifying innovative cooperative projects to
advance common interests.

13. The Secretary and the Minister concurred that promoting cooperation in the areas of research and
development, defense industrial development, security assistance, logistics, and technology security
are important for enhancing combined defense capabilities as well as for maintaining the Alliance’s
comparative technological advantage. In this regard, they committed to continue coordination and
cooperation through the regular consultative bodies focused on these respective areas. The Secretary
and the Minister pledged also to review jointly ways to manage more effectively the planning,
coordination, and execution of these activities among the various consultative bodies in a more
systematic and efficient manner.

14. The Secretary and the Minister pledged to continue and to enhance defense cooperation to address
wide-ranging global security challenges of mutual interest, including through peacekeeping operations
(PKO), counter-piracy operations, stabilization and reconstruction efforts, regional security cooperation
initiatives, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. The Minister highly evaluated the effective
global leadership demonstrated by the United States in response to various global security challenges.
The Secretary praised the ROK’s dedication and contribution to various global security efforts, including

the international community’s efforts against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), counter-piracy
activities in the Gulf of Aden, UN peacekeeping operations, and the Proliferation Security Initiative
(PSI). The Secretary and the Minister praised the U.S.-ROK Countering-Weapons of Mass Destruction
(CWMD) Committee’s efforts to enhance the Alliance’s combined capability to prevent WMD proliferation
and mitigate WMD threats during a crisis and resolved to continue to strengthen cooperation on this
front, including through the DoD Cooperative Threat Reduction Program.

15. The Secretary and the Minister concurred in the importance of U.S.-ROK-Japan trilateral security
cooperation based on common security challenges. They committed to continue trilateral cooperation
such as high-level policy consultations, various combined exercises, and enhanced information sharing
and pledged to seek ways to expand such efforts into multilateral regional cooperation to promote
peace and stability in Northeast Asia.

16. The Secretary and the Minister highlighted that USFK has effectively entered the “Pyeongtaek era”
nd
following this year’s relocation of USFK and 2 Infantry Division (2ID) Headquarters to U.S. Army

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