Strasbourg, 05/07/2006 (Agence Europe) - On 5 July, the Finnish Presidency published a statement in which it condemns, on behalf of the EU, the “provocative” missile test launches (six according to Washington, Seven According to Tokyo and ten according to Moscow and Seoul: Ed.) carried out by North Korea on 4 July. These trials, which included long-range missile systems (capable of reaching the US mainland: Ed.) that could be used to deliver weapons of mass destruction, place additional strains on the stability of the region at a time when the unresolved nuclear issue requires mutual confidence building, says the statement. It goes on to note that such tests were a matter of more general concern, due to their global proliferation implications. The trials run counter to the spirit of a joint declaration adopted in the Six-Party in September 2005, and causes doubt over the sincerity of Pyongyang's commitment to implement this declaration, says the Presidency, which calls on North Korea to return to the negotiating table without preconditions and to contribute constructively to the resolution of grave security challenges facing the region by re-establishing the moratorium on long-range missile testing that it had unilaterally observed since September 1999. The EU says it will continue to consult other members of the international community.