The European permanent and non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (Belgium, Estonia, France, Germany, United Kingdom) and Poland, a former non-permanent member, condemned the latest North Korean missile launches on Tuesday 31 March.
Since May 2019, Pyongyang has conducted 17 rounds of ballistic missile launches, including four in March 2020, on 2, 9, 21 and 29 March.
“We condemn such provocative actions”, the countries said in a statement, recalling that the launches undermined regional security and stability and international peace and security and were a “clear” violation of Security Council resolutions.
They again urged Pyongyang “to engage in good faith in meaningful negotiations with the United States aimed at denuclearization”. These negotiations are currently at an impasse. North Korea must also “take concrete steps to abandon all weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner, and to refrain from further provocation”, they added.
According to the Europeans, it is “vital” that the Security Council ensure that its resolutions are fully implemented and that sanctions remain in force. They therefore called on the international community to apply them strictly. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)