NAN-F-19
Sanctions
Berlin, Sept. 5, 2017 (Reuters/NAN) German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday agreed that sanctions against Pyongyang should be stepped up in response to North Korea’s nuclear test, German Government Spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said.
“She agreed with Abe on telephone that North Korea’s latest nuclear test threatened the security of the entire world.
“That this massive violation of the U.N. Security Council’s resolution must result in a resolute reaction from the international community as well as tougher sanctions.
“Merkel and Abe agreed that increased pressure on North Korea should make Pyongyang more willing to agree to a peaceful solution and that China and Russia had a key role to play in that,” Seibert said.
Merkel and U.S. President Donald Trump had on Monday condemned the North Korea’s nuclear test and urged the UN to quickly agree on tougher sanctions against Pyongyang.
According to a statement by the German government after their telephone conversation said that both parties agreed that the test of a hydrogen bomb means a new and unacceptable escalation by the North Korean regime.
“The German chancellor and the American president expressed the view that the international community must continue to exert pressure on the regime in North Korea.
“They added that the UN Security Council has to quickly adopt further and stricter sanctions,” Seibert said. (Reuters /NAN)
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Edited by Celine-Damilola Oyewole/Abdullahi Yusuf