International Reactions To The 2006 North Korean Nuclear Test - Europe

Europe

• Albania: The Albanian Government expressed its deep concern about the test and iterated its support for whatever action the UN Security Council decides to take in response.
• Belarus: Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Popov stated that his government believes the situation arose from an unwillingness on the part of nuclear powers to disarm themselves and that it was unrealistic to expect non-nuclear states to not develop their own deterrent when threatened by states with such arms. Belarus called upon the states concerned to return to negotiations.
• Belgium: Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht said the test demonstrates North Korea "...behaving in a totally irresponsible manner." He called the detonation a provocation and called for a "firm response" from the UN Security Council.
• Bulgaria: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria condemned the North Korean nuclear test in a declaration of 9 October, calling it a "provocative act" and a "threat to international peace and security". Bulgaria also called for clear and categorical international measures and expressed its continued support for all parties interested in finding a solution to the North Korean nuclear program problem.
• Croatia: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Croatia issued a press release in which it expressed its great concern over the test and urged the return of the states concerned to the Six Party Talks.
• Czech Republic: The Czech Republic Foreign Ministry declared the test to be a "irresponsible and regrettable step." The Ministry called upon the DPRK authorities to return to negotiations.
• Denmark: Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen said in a statement that "I strongly condemn North Korea's execution of a nuclear test explosion. It is an irresponsible action and directly contrary to the international community's repeated requests to North Korea ... It must be made clear that the international community will not accept a North Korea with nuclear arms."
• Finland: Finland, as the country holding the EU presidency, strongly condemns the test and points out that the act is in violation of UN security council resolution 1965 and the denuclearization declaration of 1991.
• France: French foreign minister Philippe Douste-Blazy has condemned the tests, saying they are "a very grave act for international security."
• Germany: German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that the test "jeopardises peace and security in the region and beyond. further down the wrong path, to self-imposed isolation.".
• Greece: Greek foreign minister Dora Bakoyannis said that "Greece condemns such a provocative action, which contravenes the Nuclear Arms Non-Proliferation Treaty, ignores UN Security Council resolution 1695 and constitutes a threat to international stability, security and peace,"
• Iceland: The Icelandic government sent a statement to the North Korean government where they condemned the test. Both the Icelandic prime minister Geir H. Haarde and foreign minister Valgerður Sverrisdóttir condemned the test. Valgerður said that "no one believed that North Korea would go this far and now the UN Security Council must decide what actions they can use in order to follow through with their previous statements about North Korea."
• Ireland: Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern strongly condemned the test, describing it as a threat to regional security and "...in direct contravention of the objectives of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation." He further called upon the DPRK to refrain from further tests and to return to the Six-Party Talks.
• Italy: Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema condemned the test, stressing the wider global security implications. He further called upon North Korea to resume fulfillment of its obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty and to return to the Six-Party Talks.
• Latvia: The Latvian Foreign Ministry expressed concern over the test and urged a return of all concerned parties to negotiations.
• Lithuania: Lithuania expressed its "great concern" at the news of North Korea's nuclear test and condemned it as an act that endangers global security and peace. The Foreign Ministry expressed its agreement with the international community that negotiations resume.
• Luxembourg: The Grand Ducal Government of Luxembourg expressed its despair over the test and hoped for the resumption of dialogue and negotiations.
• Netherlands: Dutch Foreign Minister Ben Bot condemned the test, stating that North Korea cannot expect to receive food and humanitarian aid so long as it wastes money on these kinds of projects.
• Norway: Norwegian foreign minister Jonas Gahr Støre said that Norway's reaction to the North Korean nuclear test was that they condemned it, and pleaded for the case to be brought to the UN Security Council. He also said that they warned about the matter weeks before the test, even to North Korean UN diplomats, and that their nuclear test is a dangerous escalation, as the other nuclear powers had agreed not to detonate nuclear weapons.
• Poland: Poland as member of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission in Korea expressed "its deepest concern and disappointment at the decision of North Korean authorities" and called the authorities of DPRK "for an immediate return to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and to create conditions that will enable the restoration of the presence of the inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency in its territory..
• Romania: The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared in a 9 October press release that Romania noted the test with "great concern" and deemed it "unacceptable"; it "firmly condemned" Pyongyang's "grave act of provocation". Romania called on North Korea "to immediately cease measures and acts of proliferation and to sincerely and actively engage in six-party negotiations".
• Russia: Russian president Vladimir Putin said at the customary Monday meeting with Cabinet members that “Russia unconditionally condemns the test made by the People’s Democratic Republic of Korea. It is not only North Korea that really counts, but the tremendous harm caused to the regime of WMD non-proliferation in the world.”
• Serbia: The Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared the test to be "an act jeopardizing regional stability and efforts by the international community to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons in this part of the world."
• Slovenia: The Republic of Slovenia condemned North Korea's nuclear test and warned of possible international tensions resulting from the test. Slovenia urged the resumption of the Six Party Talks.
• Spain: Foreign minister Miguel Ángel Moratinos has said that the test is a "serious provocation".
• Sweden: Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt stated that "... this is an extraordinarily serious development, with consequences both for stability in East Asia and for efforts to combat the global proliferation of nuclear weapons." and that "...a test of this kind means both a deliberate and a serious provocation targeted against the entire international community."
• Switzerland: The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs announced that "Switzerland condemns the test as counter to international efforts to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons in the world and as a threat to the security of the region." They will also support any United Nations sanctions against North Korea.
• Ukraine: The Foreign Ministry condemned North Korea's test, insisting that Pyongyang take responsibility and cease all nuclear program-related activities immediately.
• United Kingdom: The British Foreign Office released a statement soon after the test in which the test was described as "a highly provocative act" which would "raise tensions in an already tense region." Prime Minister Tony Blair has also said that the test was a "completely irresponsible act".