UN meets on North Korea missile test which Europeans condemn

The UN Security Council discussed North Korea's latest test of an underwater-launched ballistic missile Tuesday and its European members urged Pyongyang to abandon all weapons of mass destruction and engage in "meaningful negotiations" with the United States.

The Europeans read a joint statement after the closed meeting condemning the Oct. 3 test and a series of short-range ballistic missile launches in the previous weeks.

The statement called the launches "provocative actions" that are "in clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions," which ban ballistic missile launches.

The Europeans urged North Korea "to engage in good faith in meaningful negotiations with the United States, and to take concrete steps with a view to abandoning all weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner."
Germany's UN Ambassador Christoph Heusgen, asked about the reaction of the 10 other council members at the closed meeting, said: "There was actually unanimity around the table, and very critical on what has been done by the North Koreans."
"There are always nuances," Heusgen said. "I have not seen a Russian delegate say 100 percent he agrees with what the Americans have said, but taking this into consideration, there was a common line around the (council) table."
North Korea's UN Ambassador Kim Song denounced the meeting in advance, calling it "dangerous" and telling several journalists on Monday that it will increase "our desire to defend our sovereignty."
He described talks with his US counterpart, Stephen Biegun, on Saturday as "very bad and sickening," and stressed that the US had "not presented any new initiative."
Ambassador Kim, the UN envoy, stressed the timing of the Security Council meeting, which he called "very important."