EU, NATO condemn N Korea missile launch

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and the European Union (EU) have condemned the latest missile launch by North Korea.

"I strongly condemn North Korea's new ballistic missile test. This is a further breach of multiple UN Security Council Resolutions, undermining regional and international security," an official statement by the NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, read.

This comes after North Korea fired an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) in the direction of the Sea of Japan, a first by the country since 15 September.

In November, the NATO General Secretary visited the organisation's regional partners, Japan and the Republic of Korea to urge North Korea from refraining from "further provocations, and abandon its nuclear and missile programmes." He recalled the same in his statement, and added, "North Korea needs to re-engage in a credible and meaningful dialogue with the international community."

The European Union termed the problematic nation's recent missile test as a "further unacceptable violation" of international agreements.

As per the Pentagon, the ICBM travelled about 1,000 km before splashing into the Sea of Japan. The United States' Defence Department also stated that the missile did not pose a threat to the country, its territories or allies.

The missile firing comes a week after United States President Donald Trump said that North Korea fell under the list of countries that backs terrorism.

Responding to the missile test, US President Donald Trump said the country would "take care of it," while Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe termed it to be ''absolutely intolerable.''

On 15 September, North Korea had fired an intermediate-range missile, which flew over Hokkaido Island in Japan before and swashed into the Pacific Ocean. 

-ANI