North Korea Must Prove Abandoning Nuclear Testing To World - CTBTO Chief

North Korea has to prove to the international community that the country had indeed stopped conducting nuclear tests, Lassina Zerbo, the executive secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), told Sputnik Monday on the sidelines of the 15th annual meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club.

SOCHI (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th October, 2018) North Korea has to prove to the international community that the country had indeed stopped conducting nuclear tests, Lassina Zerbo, the executive secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), told Sputnik Monday on the sidelines of the 15th annual meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club.

Earlier on Monday, the 15th Annual Meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club was opened in the Russian resort city of Sochi. The event will last through Thursday, October 18.

"One thing is to help North Korea to show the good will, that they have shown right now by pushing nuclear tests into history. If they say they are not conducting nuclear test explosions, they have to show it to the international community. They say they have closed their test site, but some people doubt about it," Zerbo said.

He added that it might be the CTBTO or any other international organization that would provide the expertise and resources to confirm North Korea's claims.

The situation on the Korean peninsula has significantly improved over the past few months, with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in having held several meetings. In June, Kim also reached an agreement with US President Donald Trump that required Pyongyang to denuclearize in exchange for a freeze of the US-South Korean military drills and eventual sanctions relief.

Earlier in October, the North Korean leader confirmed the dismantling of North Korea's Punggye Ri nuclear test site and invited inspectors to visit the country to verify that.