'Remnant of the Cold War': North Korea slams G7

According to its official media, KCNA, North Korea criticised the Group of Seven on Tuesday, calling it a “remnant of the Cold War” that incites conflicts for its own interests and infringes upon the sovereignty of other nations. Following a meeting last week in Tokyo, the G7 foreign ministers were accused by Jo Chol Su, director general of Pyongyang’s foreign ministry’s Department of International Organisations, of “slandering” the nation’s exercise of “self-defensive and legitimate sovereignty” in a joint statement. In a joint statement, the G7 denounced North Korea’s missile tests and arms sales to Russia, called for humanitarian pauses in the Israel-Hamas conflict, and reiterated support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. “G7, which has caused and fomented the recent international crisis, says this or that to find fault with independent sovereign states,” Jo told KCNA. “G7 is just the main dangerous source of destroying global peace and security and the main stumbling block to the establishment of a just international order. It has lost the justification for its existence,” Jo added. “G7, the remnant of the Cold War, should be dismantled immediately, and this will be the first step toward defusing the present international crisis and restoring global peace.” Jo said that the G& group cannot speak for the whole world but rather defends the interests of a select few, pointing out that the US is one of the countries providing lethal weapons to Ukraine in an effort to “deliberately destroy peace and stability” in Europe. Jo further charged that the US was “conniving at and fomenting” the military assaults against Gaza while “shielding Israel’s hideous massacre of civilians.” At the same time as North Korea’s declaration, South Korea is hosting delegates from 17 U.N. Command (UNC) member states who are in charge of upholding the armistice ending the Korean War. It was anticipated that the discussions on Tuesday would reaffirm the commitment to counter any aggression by North Korea. (With agency inputs)