STRELNA (near St. Petersburg), July 16 (RIA Novosti) - Group of Eight leaders condemned North Korea's missile test launches in a joint statement Sunday and urged the Communist nation to abandon its nuclear programs.
North Korea officially announced on July 5 that it had conducted test launches of ballistic missiles, including a long-range Taepodong-2, and claimed it was the country's sovereign right.
In a statement on nuclear non-proliferation, G8 leaders also called on North Korea to resume unconditionally the six-nation talks on the Korean nuclear program, which have been frozen in the past six months.
G8 leaders also said they would seek to prevent any form of missile or nuclear cooperation with North Korea under the UN Security Council Resolution 1695.
