Canada as part of G7 speaks out on North Korea's missile launch
An official statement by seven foreign ministers.
Melanie Joly, along with six other foreign ministers, strongly condemned North Korea's actions. A day earlier, on November 21, South Korean officials reported the neighboring state's attempt to launch a reconnaissance satellite. Pyongyang warned Japan about the launch, but the launch took place ahead of schedule.
Immediately after the warning, residents of the Japanese island of Okinawa were advised by the authorities to take shelter in bomb shelters. As a result, the missile flew over the island and flew away towards the Pacific Ocean. It is unclear at the moment whether the missile was actually carrying a reconnaissance satellite.
Japan, along with Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States, is a member of the G7. The foreign ministers of all these states issued an official statement condemning the missile launch:
"...This action poses a grave threat to the peace and stability of the region and beyond. Any launch using ballistic missile technology, even if it is characterized as a military reconnaissance satellite, constitutes a clear, flagrant violation of relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs). North Korea continues to expand its unlawful nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities and to escalate its destabilizing activities. We reiterate our call for the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and demand that North Korea abandon its nuclear weapons, existing nuclear programs, and any other weapons of mass destruction..."
European Union High Representative Josep Borrell joined the G7 statement. All eight officials also recalled North Korea's arms deliveries to Russia and systematic violations of human rights. Ultimately, the missile launch became another reason for the world community to draw attention to North Korea's unacceptable foreign and domestic policies.
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