The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) today launched a number of short range ballistic missiles. Such actions violate multiple UN Security Council resolutions and seriously undermine regional peace and stability.

The DPRK must halt all launches using ballistic missile technology and abandon its ballistic missile programmes in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner, as required by the UN Security Council. There is an urgent need for a de-escalation of tensions on the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

We expect the DPRK to refrain from further provocations and to immediately re-engage in a credible and meaningful dialogue with the international community aimed at pursuing the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation through peaceful means. The European Union supports such a process in consultation with key partners.