Brussels, 13 July 2023 (TDI): The G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America, along with the High Representative of the European Union, Josep Borrell Fontelles, have strongly condemned North Korea’s recent launch of an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) conducted on July 12, 2023.
This act followed previous launches utilizing ballistic missile technology on May 31, 2023, and two ballistic missiles on June 15, 2023.
.@G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the U.S. and HR/VP @JosepBorrellF condemn in the strongest terms North Korea’s brazen launch of another Intercontinental Ballistic Missile, a threat to peace & stability. https://t.co/W3zlbQNeai
— European External Action Service – EEAS 🇪🇺 (@eu_eeas) July 13, 2023
The G7 Foreign Ministers expressed grave concern over North Korea’s ongoing expansion of its nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities, which pose a serious threat to regional and international peace and stability.
These launches are not only in violation of United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs) but also undermine the global non-proliferation regime.
The ministers reiterated their strong demand that North Korea immediately abandon its nuclear weapons, existing nuclear programs, any other weapons of mass destruction, and ballistic missile programs in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner.
North Korea must also fully comply with all obligations under the relevant UNSCRs.
Furthermore, the G7 Foreign Ministers stressed that North Korea can never attain the status of a nuclear-weapon State under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
They also called on North Korea to refrain from any further provocative actions and engage in meaningful diplomacy.
The ministers highlighted the repeated offers of dialogue made by Japan, the United States, and the Republic of Korea, urging North Korea to accept these offers.
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The G7 Foreign Ministers expressed deep concern over the lack of a quick, strong, and unified response by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to North Korea’s repeated and blatant violations of UNSCRs.
They called on all UN Member States to fully and effectively implement all UNSCRs and emphasized the importance of the UNSC Members following through on their commitments.
The ministers have also drawn attention to the dire humanitarian situation in North Korea, emphasizing that the regime’s prioritization of unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs over the welfare of its people is exacerbating an already critical situation.
