Britain, US, France to discuss hurricane relief, North Korea

Accra, Sept. 14 - (dpa/GNA) - British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson will meet US and French officials on Thursday to discuss hurricane relief in the Caribbean and how to respond to North Korea's "aggressive and illegal actions."

Johnson will meet US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Nicolas de Riviere, the head of political affairs in the French Foreign Ministry.

He will also host separate talks on Libya with Tillerson, de Riviere and officials from the United Nations, Italy, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, his office said.

The Foreign Office said Britain had "provided a strategic airlift" to support French relief operations on the Caribbean islands of St Barts and St Martin, and "worked closely with the US authorities to ensure people's safety in Florida.

"I've seen first-hand the devastation Hurricane Irma has caused people in the Caribbean," Johnson said ahead of the talks.

"Close coordination with our allies is vital for both the short-term and long-term recovery efforts," he said.

The US State Department said Tillerson would discuss issues including "the need for increased pressure to counter the threat to global security posed by [North Korea's] nuclear and missile programmes."

Britain said the Libya talks would focus on "how to break the political deadlock" and build support for the UN's efforts.

"Helping to bring stability to Libya is a vital part of UK efforts to tackle the threat from terrorism and the issue of illegal migration, which exist in close proximity to Europe," it said.

GNA