On Tuesday 28 November, a spokesperson for the European External Action Service (EEAS) again called on North Korea to abandon its military nuclear programme after the country fired a new missile the same day. This was the first missile it has fired since 15 September.
"The European Union's message is unequivocal: the DPRK must abandon its nuclear, weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programmes in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner, immediately cease all related activities and return to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the IAEA Safeguards", the EEAS spokesperson states in a press release.
The spokesperson again called on North Korea to engage in credible and meaningful dialogue, with the objective of pursuing the full, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and the full integration of all the relevant UN Security Council resolutions. The UN Security Council was expected to hold an emergency meeting this Wednesday.
According to the EEAS spokesperson, the new missile launch carried out on Tuesday constitutes a serious new provocation and a serious threat for international security. It also violates Pyongyang's international obligations unacceptably.
In response to the North Korean military programme, the EU has adopted many sanctions that are now in place against the regime (see EUROPE 11884). (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)