U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday that the upcoming trilateral summit between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan will mark a new era in cooperation among the three countries.

Blinken made the remarks in a press briefing as he discussed U.S. President Joe Biden hosting South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at Camp David on Friday.

Blinken added that he held talks with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts Park Jin and Yoshimasa Hayashi Tuesday morning to continue preparations for the trilateral summit.

The top U.S. diplomat said that the meeting comes at a moment when the region and the world are being tested by geopolitical competition, the climate crisis, Russia's aggression against Ukraine and nuclear provocations.

Stressing that Japan and South Korea are core allies, not just in the region but on the international stage, Blinken said that strengthening trilateral cooperation is critical to achieving results for the U.S. as well as for the region and for the world.

He also noted that it is the first time foreign leaders have visited Camp David since 2015, and the first ever standalone summit between the three countries.

The secretary said the summit will cover a wide range of issues, including defense and economic security, adding that he expects trilateral agreement on strong measures to strengthen security.