Macron, Xi agree to put more pressure on North Korea

French President Emmanuel Macron and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Friday concurred on the need for the international community to put more pressure on the North Korean regime so as to avoid an escalation after its provocative nuclear and missile tests, officials here said.

Macron made a phone call to Xi in view of China's influence in the North Korean crisis and both leaders had a detailed discussion on the issue, Efe news reported.

They recalled the international community's criticism on North Korean provocations and agreed that the situation demanded new pressures from the international community to force North Korea to negotiate and avoid dangerous escalation. Both leaders promised to remain in close contact.

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi had said on Thursday that his country would support new measures against Pyongyang following the latest nuclear test by the Kim Jong-un regime.

The measures should be aimed at "harming the nuclear and missile program of the government of DPRK (North Korea's official name) while helping restart dialogue and negotiation," the Minister said.

--IANS

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