The Federal Government condemns the new test of two ballistic missiles by North Korea, which has now conducted tests for the thirteenth time this year on this type of weapons system, thus violating its obligations under the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and irresponsibly jeopardising international security.

The UN Security Council has obliged North Korea to completely, verifiably and irreversibly cease its ballistic missile programme and all other programmes to develop weapons of mass destruction.

The German Government calls on North Korea to work peacefully with the international community and in particular to accept the United States’ offer to begin conducting serious negotiations on giving up its programmes to develop weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile systems. For this purpose, an end to the testing of ballistic missile systems is as urgently needed as is restraint on North Korea’s part from issuing unilateral ultimatums.