Johnson: ‘North Korea must curb nuclear programme before talks’
North Korea must make “serious moves” towards giving up its nuclear weapons programme before talks can take place with Kim Jong-un’s regime, Boris Johnson has said.
The Foreign Secretary and European Union counterparts agreed a statement strongly condemning Pyongyang’s nuclear and ballistic missile testing programme as a “serious threat to international peace and security”.
Mr Johnson hinted at splits within the EU over how to deal with the North Korean regime, with some countries keen to engage with Pyongyang before mean- ingful steps are taken to end its weapons programmes.
At the conclusion of a meeting in Brussels, Mr Johnson said the EU’S Foreign Affairs Council had agreed “some tough words” on North Korea.
He said: “There are some people who think we should engage early with Pyongyang. We absolutely disagree with that.
“They have got to make serious moves towards denuclearising their country before it is right for us to begin a proper dialogue, and I’m glad the council conclusions reflected that.”