The German Government vehemently condemns the recent testing of two ballistic missiles by North Korea. With this fifth series of ballistic missile tests within a brief period of time, North Korea is flagrantly breaching relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions. The testing of two cruise missiles on Tuesday has also heightened tensions in an irresponsible manner.

We call on North Korea to implement the decisions of the Security Council in full and to accept the repeated offers of dialogue put forward by the United States and South Korea. North Korea is bound to the complete, verifiable and irreversible ending of its programmes to develop weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles. The German Government and its partners are committed to the goal of peace on the Korean Peninsula and to upholding the rules-based international order.