Europeans at UN seek meeting after latest North Korea missile test

[UNITED NATIONS] European powers have requested a closed-door meeting of the UN Security Council for Friday after North Korea's latest missile test, which it said was submarine-launched, diplomats said.

The demand from Britain, France and Germany came as the United States and North Korea prepare to resume nuclear talks this week.

North Korea said the test Wednesday of a submarine-launched ballistic missile marked a new phase in its defence capability.

The test was by far the most provocative since Pyongyang began a dialogue with Washington in 2018, and marked a significant step in North Korea's nuclear weapons programme.

France, Britain and Germany say keeping up pressure on North Korea is essential.

In late August, they sought a meeting of the Security Council after North Korea tested a new "super large" multiple rocket launcher.

But in the end those three members of the council simply issued a statement calling for continued international sanctions against Pyongyang.

North Korea is under three sets of UN sanctions adopted in 2017 in an effort to force it to give up its nuclear and ballistic weapons programmes.

The sanctions limit North Korea's oil imports and impose bans linked to its exports of coal, fish and textiles.

Since the US-North Korea talks began, Russia and China have been calling for the UN to start lifting sanctions so as to create momentum towards the North's denuclearisation. But the United States has refused.

AFP