North Korea was urged by the United States and five of its allies to abandon its prohibited nuclear and ballistic missile programs. The five allies have also called on the UN Security Council to stand against Pyongyang’s ongoing, destabilizing actions, and violations of international law.
A joint statement from all six nations formally preceded the council’s closed-door consultations on North Korea’s January 5 launch of a ballistic missile that Pyongyang characterised as a hypersonic weapon and South Korea described as a standard ballistic missile that could be intercepted.
In an appeal to all nations, the six nations urged them to implement UN sanctions against the North. The UN Security Council initially imposed sanctions on North Korea in 2006 and made them tougher in response to further nuclear tests and the country’s increasingly sophisticated nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
In a joint statement, the United States, Albania, France, Ireland, and the United Kingdom expressed their concerns about the January 5 missile launch, describing it as a clear violation of the Security Council’s resolutions.
