US, 10 other countries condemn latest North Korean missile launch

The U.S. and 10 other countries on Monday condemned North Korea’s recent ballistic missile launch, which could indicate that the country could be testing for new weapons to add to its arsenal.

The countries included Albania, Australia, Brazil, France, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the U.S. The nations said they were committed “to seeking serious and sustained diplomacy,” according to The Associated Press.

They also noted that the missile launches, which violate the U.N. Security Council’s resolutions and international law, occurred “instead of embarking on a path of diplomacy and de-escalation.”

The countries urged the Security Council’s members “to speak with one voice in condemning these dangerous and unlawful acts.”

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield read the statement following a Security Council briefing on the recent situation, which marked North Korea’s 11th missile launch this year, the AP reported.

In 2006, the Security Council imposed sanctions on North Korea in response to its first nuclear test. Those sanctions were later toughened, and in 2018, former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley said all North Korean exports had been cut off as well as 90 percent of its trade.

But experts say that the country has continued to get around the measures. 

The U.N. Security Council has repeatedly suggested it was prepared to modify, suspend or lift sanctions if North Korea complied with certain demands. However, Pyongyang has refused to do so and has carried on with developing its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, the wire service added.