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Trump holds series of meetings with world leaders

WASHINGTON, Sept 22 (KUNA) -- President Donald Trump held a series of meetings in New York while at the UN General Assembly with his counterparts from Turkey, Japan, Korea, Afghanistan, Egypt, and Ukraine.
With Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the leaders affirmed their strategic partnership and agreed to work together to foster regional stability and defeat terrorism.
Additionally, they reaffirmed their rejection of the planned Kurdish Regional Government referendum and asked Kurdish leaders to accept the process of intense negotiations on all outstanding issues that the US and Turkey are prepared to support.
In Trump's meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the men discussed North Korea's "provocative actions" as a "threat to international peace." Trump reitherated that the US will defend Japan under "the full range of US military capabilities," according to the White House.
The leaders welcomed the recent adoption of the UN Security Council Resolution that placed sanctions on North Korea and pledged to work with South Korea on its implementation. They also urged China and Russia to play more consequential roles in putting pressure on North Korea.
Abe and Trump then spoke with President Moon of South Korea to discuss North Korea and continue cooperation to put pressure against that country. "They agreed to mobilize all available means to maximize pressure on North Korea and call on all other nations to do the same," said a White House statement.
Trump also discussed Ukraine's reforms to its economic growth and defense with President Petro Poroshenko. Trump reaffirmed US support for Ukraine's territorial integrity and highlighted way to achieve peace in eastern Ukraine, said a release.
President Trump discussed his strategy to defeat terrorism in South Asia with President Afghan Ashraf Ghani. This included a review of economic development issues, including "how American companies can help quickly develop Afghanistan's rich rare earth mineral sources," said a statement.
Both agreed that such initiatives would "help American companies develop materials critical to national security while growing Afghanistan's economy and creating new jobs in both countries, therefore defraying some of the costs of United States assistance as Afghans become more self-reliant." Yesterday, Trump met with Egyptian Preside Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to reiterate the "close relationship" between their two countries. Trump and al-Sisi underscored the importance of bilateral security cooperation and lauded efforts to strengthen regional security.
Trump 'emphasized that Egypt is a lynchpin of stability in the region and pushed for greater bilateral coordination to ensure peace and security. President Trump commended President Al Sisi's economic reform program," said the White House. (end) ak.tg