Rubio Cites Need for U.S. Sanctions on ICC in Talks with Motegi

Washington, Oct. 10 (Jiji Press)--U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio pointed to the need for U.S. sanctions on the International Criminal Court, in a telephone meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi held Saturday.

In the phone conversation, the secretary "raised the necessity" of U.S. sanctions on the ICC as a result of the court's "rogue actions that threaten American sovereignty," the Department of State said.

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump added The Hague, the Netherlands-based international court to its sanctions list, after taking a similar action against ICC President Tomoko Akane, a Japanese national, in August. The United States is not a member of the ICC.

Rubio and Motegi confirmed that they will continue "close coordination" over the issue of the ICC ahead of a meeting of foreign ministers from the Group of 20 advanced and emerging economies in Atlanta late this month.

The U.S. foreign chief expressed "sincere condolences" over the death of a Japanese national in a recent murder-robbery case involving a U.S. Marine in the southernmost Japan prefecture of Okinawa.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]