Antony Blinken to visit South Korea, Japan and France from January 4 to 9

Washington DC [US], January 5 (ANI): Amid the ongoing political turmoil in South Korea, United States secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to visit the nation and will discuss how both the countries can boost efforts to promote a "free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific."
Blinken will also travel to Japan, France along with South Korea from January 4-9.
In a press release, the US Department of State said, "Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will travel to the Republic of Korea (ROK), Japan, and France January 4-9. In the ROK, Secretary Blinken will meet with senior ROK government officials to reaffirm the ironclad US-ROK alliance and discuss ways our two nations can build on our critical cooperation on challenges around the world based on our shared values. The Secretary will also discuss how the United States and the ROK can strengthen key efforts to promote a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific, as well as trilateral efforts with Japan," the US Department of State said.
It added, "In Japan, Secretary Blinken will meet with senior Japanese government officials to review the tremendous progress the US-Japan alliance has made over the past few years. Secretary Blinken will reaffirm the importance of the alliance in addressing a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues and continue to build on the momentum of US-Japan-ROK trilateral cooperation."
In France, Secretary Blinken will meet with senior French officials as part of our vital partnership to address challenges in Europe, the Middle East, and beyond.
Meanwhile, Blinken on Saturday also spoke with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty. The US State Department said that the Secretary and Foreign Minister discussed the latest developments in ongoing efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza that secures the release of the hostages, increases the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, and brings an end to the war.
"They further discussed the situation in Syria. The Secretary reaffirmed US support for an inclusive, Syrian-led and Syrian-owned peaceful political transition to a representative and accountable government. The Secretary also expressed his appreciation for the role Egypt continues to play to secure peace in the region and underlined the importance of the US-Egypt strategic partnership," the US State Department added. (ANI)