War Warnings: 70 Countries urges North Korea to scrap 'Nuclear Weapon' programme for world peace

May 11, 2019:

Seventy countries have urged North Korea to scrap its nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles, and related programmes, decrying the "undiminished threat" posed to world peace.

Signatories included the United States, South Korea, and Singapore, as well as other nations in Asia, in Latin America, Africa and Europe.

Russia and China, supporters of Pyongyang, did not sign the UN document drafted by France.

With two missile launches in a week, Pyongyang is walking a fine line between increasing pressure on the US and not derailing nuclear negotiations - all while giving itself room to escalate, analysts say.

According to a diplomatic source, about 15 countries asked to sign on to the request for North Korean disarmament after the new missile firings.

The text said that the signatories "strongly deplore the grave and undiminished threat to regional and international peace and security posed by the ongoing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles programmes that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has developed".

It added: "We encourage the DPRK to avoid any provocation. We also call for the DPRK to continue discussions with the United States on denuclearisation."

Pyongyang fired two short-range missiles on Thursday following an earlier drill on Saturday.

The North had not launched any since Nov 2017, shortly before leader Kim Jong-un embarked on diplomatic overtures.

Mr Kim declared an end to the testing of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles during rapid rapprochement last year.

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