Satellite photo of Strait of Hormuz (NASA)

By Kim Seon Ah

Twenty-six countries including Korea have issued a joint statement urging normalized operations in the Strait of Hormuz, buoyed by U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreeing on the need to reopen the strait.

CNN said the leaders of the 26 states including Korea, the U.K., France, Germany, Japan, Canada, Qatar and Bahrain on May 14 released the statement, saying they would jointly use their diplomatic, economic and military capabilities to back freedom of navigation in the strait.

"Navigation must be free, as per the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and international law," it said. The leaders also pledged their support for "an independent and strictly defensive multinational military mission" to achieve that goal, including through "mine clearance operations."

The statement, however, added that the mission is only intended to complement diplomatic negotiations and de-escalation efforts and will be carried out only after a safe environment has been secured.

The Hormuz issue was on the main agenda of the Sino-U.S. summit in Beijing. President Trump said after the meeting that President Xi wants the strait reopened and that China expressed its willingness to help the U.S. reach an agreement with Iran.

The White House also said Washington and Beijing agreed that the strait must be reopened for the free flow of energy.


sofiakim218@korea.kr