BRUSSELS: The European Union on Saturday decried the “dangerous” test of North Korea’s newest intercontinental ballistic missile and said Pyongyang’s weapons programme threatens the world.
“The EU strongly condemns the DPRK’s launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile that landed in Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone on 18 November,” the 27-nation bloc said in a statement.
“The EU is deeply concerned by such dangerous, illegal and reckless action.”
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the test of the intercontinental missile on Friday with his daughter in tow for the first time, state media reported.
Declaring he would meet perceived nuclear threats from the United States with nukes of his own, Kim supervised the launch of the black-and-white missile, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said was the Hwasong-17 – dubbed the “monster missile” by analysts.
US wants China to ‘use its influence’ on North Korea
“Pyongyang’s continuing efforts to develop ever more menacing means to deliver weapons of mass destruction threatens all countries,” the EU said.
“The EU urges the DPRK to immediately stop destabilising actions that violate United Nations Security Council resolutions and raise international and regional tensions.”
The bloc insisted North Korea “must abandon all its nuclear weapons, any other weapons of mass destruction, ballistic missile programmes and existing nuclear programmes”.
It said it was “critical that the United Nations Security Council responds in an appropriate manner in order to address the growing threat the DPRK poses to international peace and security”.
The UN Security Council is set to meet to discuss the nuclear-armed country on Monday.
North Korea has conducted a record-breaking blitz of launches in recent weeks, which Pyongyang – and Moscow – have repeatedly blamed on moves by the United States to boost the protection it offers allies Seoul and Tokyo.
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