SEOUL: The U.S. ambassador to South Korea strongly criticized Russia and North Korea on Friday for their recent military pact, emphasizing the importance of enhanced trilateral cooperation between Seoul, Washington and Tokyo. Ambassador Philip Goldberg made the remarks during an annual forum hosted by Yonhap News Agency, South Korea's leading newswire service, and the unification ministry at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul. The event brought together scores of senior diplomats, officials, lawmakers and security experts from South Korea, the United States and Japan to discuss trilateral cooperation. "Growing military cooperation between Russia and the DPRK is of great concern to the trilateral countries, which are committed to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula," the ambassador said. DPRK stands for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The remarks come amid a complex security environment, underscored by the treaty signed between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Nort h Korean leader Kim Jong-un during their summit in Pyongyang earlier this month. "More than ever, our alliance is crucial to peace and stability," the ambassador said. Labeling Russia and North Korea as "isolated countries, which flout international rules and norms," the ambassador strongly criticized the military pact. The pact allows for the provision of military and other assistance from one side to the other "with all means" at their disposal and "without delay" if either country is invaded or enters a state of war. "Russia, the aggressor in many recent conflicts, is using excessive force against its sovereign neighbors and attempting to unilaterally redefine borders," he said. "Meanwhile, North Korea, the aggressor in 1950, continues to threaten and provoke the world with its unlawful nuclear weapons program and by sending balloons filled with trash to its neighboring countries," the ambassador added. Highlighting the importance of trilateral cooperation between Seoul, Washington and Tokyo, Ambassa dor Goldberg also praised President Yoon Suk Yeol's efforts to mend ties with Japan. "Whenever I speak about the trilateral process, I begin by recognizing the courageous, statesmanlike decision made by President Yoon to improve relations with Japan," the ambassador said. Relations between Seoul and Tokyo have improved since the Yoon administration decided last year to compensate Korean victims of Japanese wartime forced labor without seeking contributions from the Japanese companies involved. "The administration's dedication to building our alliances and demonstrating determination is more important than ever given the agreements between Russia and the DPRK," he said. Goldberg emphasized that there are both "opportunities and appetite" to enhance cooperation beyond security and diplomacy, to critical technology areas, such as quantum computing, biotechnology, and semiconductors. "There are other reasons why trilateral cooperation makes sense. Economic and technological competition is driving trilateral cooperation on economic security to secure supply chains," he said. Source: Yonhap News Agency