NSG urges North Korea to abondon nuke weapons

Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG) on Friday urged North Korea to immediately abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs in a "complete, verifiable and irreversible manner."

The decision was announced from Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, where 48-nation grouping held its 2019 plenary meeting.

"Participating Governments supported the ongoing diplomatic processes and efforts to achieve the complete denuclearization of, and lasting peace on, the Korean Peninsula, and reconfirmed their commitment to full and comprehensive implementation of the United Nations Security Council resolutions 2371(2017), 2375(2017), 2397(2017) and previous relevant UNSC resolutions," read a statement.

"Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) shall immediately abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner. Within the framework of the NSG's mandate, the Participating Governments noted that the supply of all NSG controlled items to the DPRK is prohibited according to the above-mentioned resolutions," it added.

Referring to the treaty on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons as the cornerstone of the global security architecture, Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev acknowledged the "significant role of the NSG in maintaining the international non-proliferation regime, while not hindering at the same time the inalienable right of every NPT Member State to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes."

North Korea is currently stuck in an impasse with the United States, especially after the breakdown of the Vietnam Summit between the leaders of the two nations in February this year.

The two countries were supposed to chart the way forward in the denuclearisation process and hold a joint press conference after the summit -- which did not happen as talks ended abruptly.

US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reportedly failed to resolve their differences on sanctions waivers which led to the breakdown of talks.

While North Korea asked for relief in sanctions in exchange for the denuclearisation steps undertaken by the reclusive state, the United States maintained its stance that sanctions waivers would only be given once complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula is achieved.

Talks between the two states have been limited following the Vietnam Summit, with the US urging Pyongyang to resume dialogue.

North Korea, on the other hand, has told US to drop its hardline stance and put forward a new proposal acceptable to the country's leadership.