Foreign ministers of the G7 countries and the head of EU diplomacy in a joint statement condemned the launch by North Korea on March 16 of an intercontinental ballistic missile. It is reported by Interfax.
The document, published by the European External Action Service, says that this action “undermines regional and international peace and security.”
The statement noted North Korea’s record number of ballistic missile launches since last year and “continued irresponsible and destabilizing rhetoric regarding the use of nuclear weapons.” The text says that earlier this year, the DPRK publicly announced its intention to further expand and strengthen its illegal nuclear and missile programs.
“We reaffirm our demand that North Korea completely, verifiably and irreversibly renounce its nuclear weapons, existing nuclear programs and any other weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs and fully comply with all obligations arising from the relevant resolutions of the United Nations Security Council Nations,” said the G7 foreign ministers and the EU representative.
They stressed that “North Korea cannot and will never have the status of a nuclear-weapon state under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.”
The statement calls on the DPRK to “carry on constructive diplomacy towards denuclearization and accept the repeated proposals for dialogue put forward by Japan, the United States and the Republic of Korea.”
According to the signatories of the document, “North Korea’s reckless behavior requires a quick and unified response from the international community, including further serious measures from the UN Security Council.”
The Foreign Ministers of the G7 countries and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs called on “all UN member states to fully and effectively implement all UNSC resolutions, and UNSC members to fulfill their obligations.”
At the same time, they expressed their concern about the dire humanitarian situation in the DPRK and their commitment to work with all relevant partners to achieve peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
Source: Rosbalt
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