North Korea rejected the joint statement by the G7 foreign ministers calling for an end to its nuclear program and said it remained firmly committed to possessing nuclear weapons. The statement was distributed by North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) and quoted by Reuters.
“The commitment to possessing nuclear weapons is unwavering,” Pyongyang said in its statement. North Korea also said it would continue the accelerated development of its capabilities to deter military threats and would take action in response to what it described as growing naval threats from the United States and its allies.
G7 calls for complete denuclearization
In the declaration adopted following the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting in Paris on November 9 and 10, the group condemned North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs and reaffirmed its commitment to the country’s complete denuclearization in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Pyongyang’s position represents a direct rejection of this appeal. North Korean authorities did not indicate any readiness to end the nuclear program, instead declaring their intention to continue developing the country’s military capabilities.
Naval forces remain part of the dispute
The statement specifically referred to naval threats from the United States and its allies. Pyongyang did not identify any particular military exercise or separate operation, but said it would take action in response to the growing pressure.
This is the latest public confirmation that North Korea views nuclear weapons as a central element of its defense strategy. The G7, for its part, continues to call for the complete dismantling of North Korea’s nuclear program, leaving the gap between the two positions unchanged.
Sources: bta.bg, devdiscourse.com