IAEA Chief Says North Korea's Nuclear Activities Remain 'Cause For Serious Concern'

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th November, 2020) North Korea's continued nuclear activities constitute a "cause for serious concern," Rafael Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said during an address to the United Nations General Assembly.

"The DPRK's [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] nuclear activities remain a cause for serious concern. The continuation of the country's nuclear program is a clear violation of relevant Security Council resolutions and is deeply regrettable," Grossi stated in the address that was delivered on Wednesday evening.

The IAEA is calling on Pyongyang to ensure full compliance with a range of United Nations Security Council resolutions that limit North Korea's nuclear capabilities, Grossi said.

"I call upon the DPRK to comply fully with its obligations and the Security Council resolutions, to cooperate promptly with the agency in the full and effective implementation of its NPT [Non-Proliferation Treaty] safeguards agreement and to resolve all outstanding issues, especially those that have arisen during the absence of agency inspectors from the country," the IAEA chief remarked.

In an address also delivered to the General Assembly, North Korea's ambassador to the UN, Kim Song, called the IAEA a "political tool" of Western countries.

Pyongyang ceased its cooperation with the IAEA in 1994, and the international community rallied to slap sanctions on North Korea in a bid to stop the country's nuclear program.

A leaked UN Security Council report, which was published in August, alleged that Pyongyang has obtained miniaturized warheads that may be attached to ballistic missiles.