At the 10th Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, a senior U.S. State Department official pointed out that North Korea’s nuclear and missile development poses a serious threat to international security and the global nuclear non-proliferation regime. He also emphasized that the US goal is still the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Reporter Cho Sang-jin reports.
Thomas Countryman, senior adviser to the U.S. Department of State’s Office of International Security and Non-Proliferation, condemned North Korea’s continued nuclear and missile development and moves to evade sanctions.
[토머스 컨트리맨 선임고문 성명] “Madam Chair, The DPRK’s unlawful nuclear and ballistic missile programs continue to constitute a serious threat to international peace and security and to the global nonproliferation regime. Our goal remains the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. We are committed to a calibrated, practical approach that seeks serious and sustained diplomacy with the DPRK, and will continue to push the DPRK to honor its commitment to return as soon as possible to the NPT and to IAEA safeguards.”
Countryman, a senior adviser to the United States attending the second committee meeting of the 10th Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference, said in a statement released on the 9th, “North Korea’s illegal nuclear and ballistic missile programs are important for international peace and security, and the world “It poses a serious threat to the non-proliferation regime,” he said.
“Our goal is still the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” he said.
“We are committed to a coordinated and substantive approach to seeking serious and lasting diplomacy with North Korea, and to ensure that North Korea fulfills its promises to return quickly to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards,” he said. We will continue to urge you.”
Countryman senior adviser also pointed out that North Korea continues to finance its illegal weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs through sanctions evasion in violation of UN Security Council resolutions.
[컨트리맨 선임고문 성명] “The DPRK continues to fund its unlawful WMD and ballistic missile programs through sanctions evasion in violation of UN Security Council resolutions, which remain in place. We call upon all Parties to fully implement all UN Security Council resolutions addressing the DPRK, which play an important role in promoting further dialogue.”
He added that he urges all parties to fully implement the UN Security Council resolutions on North Korea, which will play an important role in facilitating future dialogue with North Korea.
Countryman senior adviser said the United States supports the Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Non-Nuclear Zone Treaty, which strengthens regional security, and will ratify the protocols the United States has signed.
He stressed that progress toward peace in these zones will be achieved through direct and inclusive dialogue aimed at building trust and addressing the legitimate security concerns of all countries in the region.
At the 2nd Committee meeting held on the 8th, Senior Advisor Countryman criticized North Korea and China’s move to augment their nuclear and missile strategies, pointing out that “the only countries in East Asia that are introducing new warheads are China and its ally, North Korea.” I did.
[녹취: 컨트리맨 선임고문] “As for Asia, the only States introducing additional new warheads into East Asia are China and its ally the DPRK. Every delegation in this room knows China’s geostrategic intentions.”
“All delegations attending the meeting are aware of China’s strategic and geopolitical intentions,” he said, denouncing the military expansion moves of China and North Korea.
Earlier, through the State Implementation Report submitted to the 10th Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference, the US government also urged the cessation of North Korea’s provocations and reaffirmed the Biden administration’s principle of being open to diplomacy with North Korea.
The United States repeatedly urged North Korea to stop provocations, comply with its obligations under UN Security Council resolutions, and engage in continued and intensive negotiations with the United States in its State Implementation Report.
He added that the United States is committed to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and has no hostile intentions toward North Korea.
He stressed that U.S. policy is an open, coordinated, pragmatic approach to exploring diplomacy with North Korea to make tangible progress in improving the security of the United States, its allies, and deployed troops.
The 10th NPT evaluation meeting, which started on the 1st of this month, will continue until the 26th.
This conference, held once every five years, is an international conference held by nuclear weapons-weapon states and non-nuclear states to review the implementation of the treaty.
The meeting was originally scheduled to be held in April 2020, but following several postponements due to the followingmath of the novel coronavirus, it was held for the first time in 7 years.
This is Cho Sang-jin from VOA News.