Bildt: North Korea nuclear test 'extremely serious'
Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt has described North Korean claims that it has carried out an underground nuclear weapons test as "an extremely serious development."
The test would have consequences both for stability in East Asia and for international efforts to stem the proliferation of nuclear weapons, Bildt said in a statement on Monday morning.
"While it has been assumed for a long time that North Korea has a few nuclear charges, a test of this kind is a conscious and serious provocation directed at the entire international community," he said, adding that while the information was unconfirmed there was cause to believe that the official North Korean version of events was largely correct.
Bildt called on the United Nations Security Council to discuss what measures could be taken following the test.
"As late as on Friday the UN Security Council said that a nuclear test would endanger peace, stability and security, and challenged North Korea to reenter the so-called six-party talks which it has boycotted during the whole of this year."
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The test would have consequences both for stability in East Asia and for international efforts to stem the proliferation of nuclear weapons, Bildt said in a statement on Monday morning.
"While it has been assumed for a long time that North Korea has a few nuclear charges, a test of this kind is a conscious and serious provocation directed at the entire international community," he said, adding that while the information was unconfirmed there was cause to believe that the official North Korean version of events was largely correct.
Bildt called on the United Nations Security Council to discuss what measures could be taken following the test.
"As late as on Friday the UN Security Council said that a nuclear test would endanger peace, stability and security, and challenged North Korea to reenter the so-called six-party talks which it has boycotted during the whole of this year."
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