High-ranking officials from 14 Pacific Island countries discuss ways to cooperate with the international community regarding North Korea’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile tests during the fourth Korea-Pacific Islands Senior Officials’ Meeting in Busan on Oct. 25.
The Pacific Islands have weighed in to condemn North Korea’s provocations and its nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.
Senior officials from 14 Pacific Island countries gathered at the fourth Korea-Pacific Islands Senior Officials’ Meeting held in Busan on Oct. 25 and zeroed in on key criticisms of the North’s repeated nuclear weapons tests and ballistic missile launches, which took place on Jan. 6 and on Sept. 9, respectively. They adopted a statement that said, “The DPRK’s development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles poses a grave threat to regional peace and stability.” The group also stressed that the North should abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
This gathering had in attendance high-ranking officials from 14 Pacific Island nations: Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Samoa, Tonga, Niue and Cook Islands. There were also representatives from the organizing committee of the Pacific Islands Forum.
In the statement, the participants firmly urged the North to “fully comply with all relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions and its commitments under the 2005 Joint Statement of the Six-Party Talks.” They also reaffirmed their support for the unanimous adoption of U.N. Security Council Resolution 2270.
By Sohn JiAe
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos: Yonhap News
jiae5853@korea.kr
