North Korea has criticised a joint statement by the G7 foreign ministers calling on it to give up nuclear weapons. Pyongyang instead said it only intends to strengthen its nuclear capabilities, Korean media reported on Monday.
Pyongyang on March 17, reacted sharply to a joint statement by top diplomats of advanced economies after a meeting in La Malba, Canada last Friday, where G7 foreign ministers called on North Korea to denuclearise and condemned Russia’s military assistance.
In a written statement, North Korea’s Foreign Ministry recalled that the G7 foreign ministers had called on Pyongyang’s leadership to halt its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes, and added:
“We are deeply concerned that G7 members, the biggest obstacle to efforts to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons and ensure world peace and security, question the right of a sovereign state to possess the means to deter war with hostile remarks.”
The statement emphasised that North Korea will not tolerate interference in its sovereignty and internal affairs, and said:
“Those who use nuclear weapons as the main tool to achieve their aggressive and hegemonic political and military goals, as well as those who conduct illegal and malicious nuclear proliferation activities under the pretext of “nuclear separation” and “extended deterrence” are G7 countries.”
The foreign ministers of the G7 countries, consisting of the US, UK, Germany, France, Japan, Canada and Italy, gathered in Canada for the meeting. A joint statement issued after the meeting stressed that North Korea’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes violate UN Security Council decisions. Pyongyang was urged to halt its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes in accordance with UN decisions.
