G8 warns N Korea, says rocket launch violates UNSC resolutions

Washington: Strongly condemning the failed rocket launch by North Korea, the Foreign Ministers of G8 countries have termed it as violations of resolutions of the UN Security Council. “Sharing the view that the launch undermines regional peace and stability, we call on the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) to abstain from further launches using ballistic missile technology or other actions which aggravate the situation on the Korean Peninsula,” the G8 Foreign Minister said in a statement. [caption id=“attachment_274846” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“North Korea had said the rocket was aimed at putting a satellite in orbit for peaceful research purposes. AP”] [/caption] G8 countries is the grouping of the top eight economic of the world – the US, Britain, France, Japan, Germany, Canada, Russia and Italy. North Korea had said the rocket was aimed at putting a satellite in orbit for peaceful research purposes, but Western critics see it as a disguised ballistic missile test, banned by United Nations resolutions. Earlier in the day G8 countries had urged North Korea to suspend its missile launch, which was defied by Pyongyang. The meeting was chaired by the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. “We are ready to consider, with others, taking measures responding to all activities of the DPRK that violate UN Security Council Resolutions, and calling for appropriate response by the United Nations Security Council,” they said. “We urge the DPRK to meet its international commitments including those under the 2005 Joint Statement of the Six-Party Talks; comply with its obligations under all relevant UN Security Council resolutions, in particular by abandoning all its nuclear weapons and its existing nuclear and ballistic missile programs in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner; cease its uranium enrichment activities, which violate UN Security Council Resolutions 1718 and 1874; and take concrete and irreversible steps toward denuclearisation,” the statement said. PTI