Belgium, Estonia, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom are deeply concerned by the testing of ballistic missiles by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea on March 1st. The DPRK has conducted 14 sets of ballistic missile launches since May 2019 and continued to operate its nuclear program. The panel of experts working on the DPRK has continuously highlighted such efforts.
We condemn such provocative actions. They undermine regional security and stability, as well as international peace and security, and are in clear violation of unanimously adopted UN Security Council resolutions.
We continue to urge the DPRK to engage in good faith in meaningful negotiations with the United States aimed at denuclearization, and to take concrete steps to abandoning all weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner.
There is no other way to achieve security and stability on the Korean Peninsula. Continued provocations risk undermining the prospect for successful negotiations.
It is vital that the Security Council ensures full implementation of its resolutions and that sanctions remain in place. We call on the international community to comply with the obligation to strictly enforce these sanctions, including by reporting on their implementation in accordance with the resolutions adopted by the Council.