(Photo/Yonhap News)

TOKYO, June 9 (Xinhua) -- China, Japan and South Korea have agreed to enhance cooperation on scientific studies on the Arctic Ocean at a trilateral high-level talks.

A joint statement issued after the talks citing environmental and climate changes in the Arctic region, said these changes have presented the international community with both challenges and opportunities and it is necessary for the three countries to enhance cooperation under international frameworks including the Arctic Council.

The second trilateral high-level talks held here on Thursday were attended by Special Representative for Arctic Affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry Gao Feng, Japanese Ambassador in Charge of Arctic Affairs Kazuko Shiraishi and the South Korean Foreign Ministry's Ambassador for Arctic Affairs Kim Young-jun, as well as employees of other concerned agencies and research centers in the three countries.

The three sides also reaffirmed scientific research as the most promising area for their joint activities and trilateral cooperative activities, and encouraged their scientists to enhance cooperation in observation and research projects on the Arctic under international frameworks while continuing to explore cooperative projects in other areas.

The three sides also decided to report their discussions to the Arctic Council.

The three Asian countries held their first trilateral talks on the Arctic issues in April last year in Seoul, in an effort to implement the fruits reached at the Sixth China-Japan-South Korea Trilateral Summit in 2015.

China is to host the Third Trilateral High-Level Dialogue on the Arctic in 2018.