US, EU, 47 more condemn North Korea, Russia for ballistic missile transfers

U.S. Department of State releases a joint statement condemning DPRK and Russia ‘in strongest possible terms’ on Jan 9.

In a joint statement from the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of 48 countries, including the United States and several European countries, and the High Representative of the EU, strong condemnation has been expressed against North Korea and Russia.

The joint statement condemns the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) for exporting the ballistic missiles, and the Russian Federation for using these missiles against Ukraine on Dec.30, 2023 and Jan. 2, 2024

According to the statement, the transfer of ballistic missiles from the DPRK to Russia is a violation of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions, namely resolution 1718 (2006), resolution 1874 (2009) and resolution 2270 (2016).

Since Russia initially supported resolution 2270, the international community is deeply troubled by the security implications of this cooperation, extending across Europe, the Korean Peninsula and the Indo-Pacific region.

The statement calls upon the DPRK and Russia to abide by the aforementioned U.N. Security Council resolutions and immediately cease all activities that violate them.

The coalition is closely monitoring the nature of what Russia provides to the DPRK in exchange for these weapons exports. The ministers urge all U.N. Member States, including Security Council members, to join them in condemning these flagrant violations.

As Russia continues its missile and drone attacks against Ukraine, the coalition reaffirms its commitment to stand together in support of Ukraine.

Additionally, the DPRK is urged to respond to genuine offers for diplomacy, emphasizing the path to enduring peace on the Korean Peninsula as the only viable solution.

The international community remains vigilant in addressing these critical concerns to safeguard global peace and security.

The list of signatories to the joint statement also includes Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania and Luxembourg.

Moreover, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Palau, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, Romania, San Marino, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine and the United Kingdom are also included in the list.