March 19, 2016

Japanese Communist Party Vice Chair Koike Akira on March 18 held a press conference in the Diet building and expressed strong protest against a ballistic missile launch conducted by North Korea that day.

Koike criticized North Korea for violating UN Security Council resolutions banning the country from carrying out any launch using ballistic missile technologies. The action also violates the Joint Statement of the Six-Party Talks and the Japan-DPRK Pyongyang Declaration.

He pointed out that it has become increasingly important to rigorously enforce the recent UNSC resolution imposing additional sanctions on North Korea.

Koike who is also the party’s policy commission chair said, “All parties concerned should refrain from bellicosity and military posturing, and strengthen diplomatic efforts to resume the Six-Party Talks without delay in order to have North Korea abandon its nuclear weapons development program.”

Past related article:
> Shii welcomes new UNSC sanctions on North Korea [March 4, 2016]
> Shii condemns North Korea’s missile launch [February 8, 2016]
> Shii condemns N. Korea’s nuclear test [January 6, 2016]