XIAMEN (China), (Sputnik) — The leaders of the BRICS member states, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, have condemned the recent nuclear test carried out by Pyongyang, a joint declaration said Monday.
North Korea reportedly said on Sunday that it had successfully tested a hydrogen bomb that could be loaded on an intercontinental ballistic missile. The shockwaves from the test were first registered in China, then in South Korea and Japan, before spreading further out.
"We strongly deplore the nuclear test conducted by the DPRK. We express deep concern over the ongoing tension and prolonged nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, and emphasize that it should only be settled through peaceful means and direct dialogue of all the parties concerned," the document adopted at the BRICS summit said.
BRICS leaders on Monday also condemned the practice of unilateral military interventions and economic sanctions.
"We condemn unilateral military interventions, economic sanctions and arbitrary use of unilateral coercive measures in violation of international law and universally recognized norms of international relations," the declaration reads.
Toughening of the sanctions against North Korea is widely expected after Pyongyang's latest and the most powerful nuclear test.
"We emphasize that no country should enhance its security at the expense of the security of others," the declaration adds.
The South Korean Environment Ministry has made a decision to conditionally approve the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense systems deployment on the territory of the Asian nation, local media reported Monday.
Hydrogen bombs, also called thermonuclear bombs, use nuclear fusion, which releases far more energy than splitting of the atoms used in atomic bombs.
