MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On Tuesday, reports emerged of North Korea preparing to launch another medium-range ballistic missile later in April.
"We hope that Pyongyang will reject irresponsible actions and realize the illusive nature of its attempts at becoming a nuclear power. At the same time, we consider attempts by certain countries to use the situation as a pretext for stepping up military presence in northeastern Asia to be dangerous and counterproductive," Lavrov said.
"We are convinced that bolstering stability in the Asia-Pacific region must contribute to creating reliable mechanisms for ensuring equitable and indivisible security, mechanisms that are based on principles of non-alignment," Lavrov said.
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula escalated after North Korea successfully carried out a hydrogen bomb test in early January and put a satellite into orbit a month later, violating UN Security Council resolutions and triggering condemnation from the international community.
