The chairman of the European Parliament’s delegation for relations with the Korean peninsula, Nirj Deva (ECR, United Kingdom), urged North Korea on Wednesday, March 6 , not to resume missile launches or tests.
While the country has refrained from launching missiles or conducting nuclear tests for the past year, satellite imagery suggests that it has begun to rebuild part of a facility that was previously used to test long-range missile engines.
“I appeal to North Korea not to continue to launch missiles or conduct any tests before we can rethink our engagement”, the MP told reporters.
Recalling that Pyongyang had called for the lifting of sanctions, in particular those in the humanitarian field, Mr Deva felt that the time had not yet come to talk about that “if North Korea is testing anything”. The issue of sanctions was one of the stumbling blocks at the summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on 28 February (see EUROPE 12204). Mr Deva also praised the “extraordinary initiative” taken by the two men.
In addition, the MEP announced that following his invitation, a delegation of North Koreans is expected to visit the European Parliament, “before the end of the mandate”. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)