TOKYO: Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven major powers issued a statement Thursday strongly criticizing North Korea for its firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile Wednesday.

In their statement, the G-7 ministers said they “condemn in the strongest terms North Korea’s brazen launch” of another ICBM.

“We reiterate our demand that North Korea abandon its nuclear weapons, existing nuclear programs, and any other weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner,” the statement said.

The ministers also called on the UN Security Council to take a unified response to repeated violations of Security Council resolutions by North Korea.

In the statement, the ministers said that missile launches by North Korea “pose a grave threat to regional and international peace and stability,” and urged North Korea to “refrain from any other provocative actions.”

JIJI Press