Berlin Calls on North Korea to Abandon Nuclear Tests

BERLIN (Sputnik) — German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel has called on North Korea to abandon nuclear tests and stop developing its nuclear program.

"Nuclear tests must finally remain in past. North Korea that carried out two nuclear tests in 2016, must refrain from new tests, stop its nuclear program and return to the negotiation table," Gabriel said on the occasion of the International Day against Nuclear Tests.

The minister also called on the countries that have not either ratified or signed the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty to do it in the near future. Gabriel stressed that only then the treaty would become an "effective tool of international law" in terms of implementation of the nuclear tests ban.

On Tuesday, North Korea launched a missile, which flew over Japan before falling into the Pacific Ocean 1,180 kilometers (733 miles) east of Hokkaido, the northernmost of the three Japanese islands. The launch was the second in the last few days as on Saturday, North Korea test fired short-rage ballistic missiles off the eastern coast of the Korean peninsula.