Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
In a statement issued last night in Brussels, where the European Union institutions are based, the G7 foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America and the High Representative of the European Union condemned, in the strongest terms, the launch of North Korea using ballistic missile technology that was conducted 24 August 2023.” This launch is a clear and flagrant violation of many United Nations Security Council resolutions and constitutes a serious threat to regional and international peace and stability.
Despite repeated calls from the international community, North Korea continues to intensify its escalatory actions with a record number of ballistic missile launches, which only testifies to its determination to develop and diversify its illegal nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities. We reiterate once again our demand that North Korea abandon its nuclear weapons, existing nuclear programs and any other weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner, and fully comply with all obligations under relevant UN Security Council resolutions. North Korea cannot, and never will, attain nuclear-weapon state status under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
The statement issued by the Office of the European Foreign Policy Coordinator also said, "North Korea's reckless behavior must be met with a swift, united and strong international response, in particular by the United Nations Security Council. The frequency of repeated flagrant violations by North Korea of United Nations Security Council resolutions "Coupled with the inaction of the United Nations Security Council due to obstruction by some members, is a cause for grave concern. We urge members of the United Nations Security Council to follow through on their commitments. We call on North Korea to engage in meaningful diplomacy and accept repeated offers of dialogue by Japan, the United States and the Republic of Korea without preconditions.
We deplore North Korea's choice to divert its limited resources to fund illegal weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programmes, thereby exacerbating the suffering of the North Korean people and contributing to human rights violations and abuses.
The statement concluded by saying, "The G7 remains committed to working with all relevant partners to achieve the goal of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and to uphold the international order based on the rule of law."