North Korea/DPRK: Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the launch of a long-range ballistic missile

 

Press material Saturday 15 April 2023

● Council of the EU   15/04/2023 20:40 | Press release | North Korea/DPRK: Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the launch of a long-range ballistic missile   The EU strongly condemns the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) launch of a new type of long-range ballistic missile on 13 April. The DPRK’s repeated demonstrations of its intention to continue developing the means to deliver weapons of mass destruction threaten international peace and security. The DPRK must cease all illegal and dangerous actions that violate UN Security Council resolutions and recklessly escalate military tensions in the region. The EU reiterates that the DPRK must comply immediately with its obligations under UN Security Council resolutions by abandoning all its nuclear weapons, other weapons of mass destruction, ballistic missile programmes and existing nuclear programmes, in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner and cease all related activities. This is the only viable route to sustainable peace and security on the Korean peninsula. The DPRK cannot and will never have the status of a nuclear weapon state under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) or any other special status in that regard. The EU urges the DPRK to return immediately to full compliance with the NPT as a non-nuclear weapon state and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement, bring into force the Additional Protocol and sign and ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. The DPRK’s use of resources to support its unlawful weapons programmes exacerbates the difficult living conditions endured by much of its population. The EU again calls upon the international community to respond in a united and firm manner to uphold the international non-proliferation architecture and to prevent the DPRK from further escalating military tensions in the region. It is critical that all UN Member States, especially Members of the UN Security Council, ensure the full implementation of UN sanctions and urge the DPRK to resume meaningful dialogue with all the main parties. The EU expresses its full solidarity with the Republic of Korea and Japan. The EU is ready to work with all relevant partners in promoting a meaningful diplomatic process aimed at building sustainable peace and security through the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.