-General debate on all disarmament and international security agenda items
🇸🇪 Sweden, 🇰🇵 Democratic People's Republic of Korea, 🇷🇺 Russian Federation, 🇮🇷 Islamic Republic of Iran, 🇰🇷 Republic of Korea
Thank you. Thank you, Chair. Sweden would like to exercise its right of reply in response to claims made by the Islamic Republic of Iran. I have three brief remarks. Firstly, there are no nuclear weapons on Swedish soil. Secondly Sweden recognizes the compatibility with the nuclear sharing arrangements of NATO and the MPT as they were in place and well known to all negotiating parties at the time of the treaty's entry into force, also contributing to the aim of non-proliferation. Thirdly, Sweden remains in excellent standing with the MPT, fulfilling all its obligations and continuing to support the treaty as the cornerstone of the non proliferation and disarmament architecture. We invite the Islamic Republic of Iran to join us in this spirit. Thank you, Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Chair, for the floor. My delegation condemns the statements made by the delegations of the United Kingdom, Germany, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, and some other countries who urge the DPRK to abandon its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, accusing it as in contradiction with the UN Security Council's so called resolutions. As mentioned before, the DPRK's possession of nuclear weapons is an inalienable and unquestionable sovereign right of the DPRK to defend itself. My delegation categorically rejects the sophism of those delegations as an unpardonable infringement upon the sovereignty of the DPRK. My delegation, my country, has never recognized but totally rejected the UMSC sanctions resolutions, which are political products fabricated by the hostile forces in pursuit of sinister political purposes in clear Contravention of the principles and mission of the UN Charter. Resolute and clear is the DPRK's stand that nuclear deterrence is the ultimate shield for national sovereignty and the supreme guarantee for defending sovereignty, and that sustained bolstering of the nuclear deterrence is the most responsible and correct option for ensuring regional peace and security. Whatever others may say, the position and significance of existence of the DPRK as a responsible nuclear weapons state. to keep the balance of strength and ensure the geopolitical security in and over the Korean Peninsula are final and irreversible. No state or force can ever compel my country to withdraw from defending the national sovereignty and the core interests. The futile attempts of those states to deny and infringe upon the constitutional rights of the DPRK can never affect the new security landscape of the Northeast Asian region built around the current position of my country. The urgent issue to be addressed by the international community is the present geopolitical crisis being created across several parts of the world. The reckless acts of the confrontation forces posing a destructive threat to the world's security mechanical structure give a realistic justification to the renewal and expansion of the physical deterrent to confront them. This proves once again that the national security is an absolute important matter that can never be entrusted to others. And we would like to say quite a few more words about the groundless accusations of the relations between the DPRK and the Russian Federation. The DPRK Russia cooperation is a legitimate exercise of the sovereign right in full conformity with the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries, as well as with the UN Charter. And my country remains unchanged in its view and stance that the Ukrainian crisis was obviously caused by the confrontation policy of the US and the West, which have violated Russia's reasonable and legitimate security interests and escalated NATO's eastward advance. The better future of Europe cannot be realized apart from the core interests and will of the Russian Federation. We think that uprooting the cause of the conflict is the main solution. To putting an end to the Ukrainian crisis and ensuring sustainable and durable peace in the region. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Уважаемые господин. Mr. Chair, we are forced once again to exercise our right of reply in connection with statements by a number of delegations concerning the situation around the Korean peninsula that distort the actual situation. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is a close neighbor, a comrade, and a long-standing partner of Russia, with whom our relations have deep historical roots. We proceed from the understanding that the steady expansion of this cooperation, which is based on a solid legal, political, and economic foundation laid over the previous decades, is in the interests of our states and helps to strengthen peace and security in the Northeast Asia region. The signing of the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in June 2024 during the Russian-Korean summit in Pyongyang was largely driven by the profound evolution of the geopolitical situation globally and regionally. The document enshrines the basic principles for the further development of bilateral ties with the aim of deepening partnership and strategic cooperation across a broad range of priority areas for the two states and aimed at building a just multipolar international system. The treaty does not pursue the aim of creating a military alliance along Western models. At the same time, it provides for mutual military assistance in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter and the legislation of the Russian Federation and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Thus, in particular on the basis of Article four of the treaty, units of the Korean People's Army joined the operation to expel Ukrainian armed groups and bands of foreign mercenaries from areas of Russia's Kursk region that they had temporarily occupied. The goal of denuclearization, and I emphasize this, of the entire Korean peninsula and not only the DPRK, as some colleagues have asserted, was established in 1992 by the DPRK itself and the Republic of Korea. And it always had two main elements. The first is Pyongyang renouncing its nuclear ambitions, and the second is the US de-escalating military tensions on the peninsula and stopping its threats against the DPRK. For Washington, fulfilling its part of the agreement seemed to be an insurmountable task. Together with its regional allies, the Republic of Korea and Japan, the USA regularly conducts large-scale provocative military exercises that rehearse various offensive scenarios, including the possibility of the use of a nuclear weapon against the DPRK under the policy of so-called extended deterrence. In essence, the United States is moving toward the creation of military alliances with a nuclear component in Northeast Asia, which only further is aggravating the already tense situation in the region. Recent developments show that the provocative nature of these actions are well understood by Washington itself. This is confirmed by President Donald Trump's acknowledgement that the previous course of escalation around the Korean Peninsula was misguided. Joint military exercises with Seoul were described, and I quote, as sending a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile. We hope that this reflection on past mistakes will become the first step toward a complete abandonment of a confrontational policy towards the DPRK, including by South Korea. For the time being, however, the irresponsible, escalatory, and provocative policies of the United States and its allies pose a real and extremely serious threat to regional security and also violate UN Security Council resolutions as regards the importance of easing tensions on the Korean peninsula. Moreover, they undermine the fundamental principle of equal and indivisible security, which in turn is driving Pyongyang toward possessing its own missile and nuclear capabilities as the principal means of ensuring its independence and security. Under these circumstances, it is entirely evident that there can be no talk of the objective of denuclearization in principle. For us, this issue is closed. Thank you for your attention.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. My delegation has explained during the during the last week's general debate the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program. I will therefore not revisit this matter. Instead, I wish to address the noncompliance of those very countries that level political allegations against Iran with their own obligations under the NPT. If compliance with the NPT is indeed their concern, they must be held accountable for their own violations of the treaty. Germany, together with more than 30 other Western countries, including Lithuania, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia and Albania, must be held accountable for their long standing violations of Article 1, 2 and 6 of the NPT through the stationing of United States nuclear weapons on their territories or their reliance on NATO's nuclear deterrence. Sweden, as a NATO member that also relies on the Alliance nuclear deterrence framework, is no exception. Their selective invocation of the NPT is further underscored by their response to the aggression against Iran. While persistently leveling baseless allegations against Iran, these countries have remained dead silent in the face of unprovoked and large scale acts of aggression against Iran, including attacks on its peaceful nuclear program. They have not even dared to condemn these unlawful acts. This is not a genuine commitment to international peace and security. Hypocrisy and a blatant double standard that undermines the international order based on international law. Germany provides a particularly clear example of this double standard. I would therefore like to briefly respond to the representative of Germany. What we are witnessing is a troubling combination of hypocrisy, the selective invocation of international law, and a willingness to disregard it when political interests so dictate. Germany has invoked international law forcefully in the context of Ukraine. Yet its silence and complicity in the face of atrocities in Gaza, as well as its position on Venezuela and Iran, reveal a deeply troubling inconsistency. Indeed, Germany's own Chancellor portrayed Israel's attack against Iran as Israel doing Europe's dirty work. Such remarks go beyond silence. They are an outright endorsement of an illegal act of war and reveal Germany's lack of commitment to the very principles of international law it so frequently invokes. Germany's recent failure to secure an elected seat on the Security Council is a reflection of the hypocrisy and double standards that increasingly characterize its approach to international law. and should prompt serious reflection on the credibility and consistency of its foreign policy. Thank you, Mr. Chek.
Thank you, Mr Chair. Um my delegation had not intended to take the floor today, but we feel compared to to do so in response to the groundless allegations made by the Russian Federation delegation. Um the Russian Federation uh has m misrepresented the cause of the situation. We reiterate that the ROK US combined defense and deterrence posture is a response to the DPRK's ever growing military threats. The DPRK has continued to develop its unlawful nuclear and ballistic missile programs in violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions. In this situation, as our security is threatened, the ROK is maintaining the ROK US combined defense and deterrence posture, including the conduct of combined trainings and exercises. This posture constitutes a legitimate and defensive response to protect the lives and safety of our people and to contribute to regional peace and stability. Regarding the Russian Federation, the TRK corporation. It is evident that the military cooperation between Russia and the DPRK, including its dispatch of DPRK troops, constitutes a violation of international norms, including the UN Charter, the relevant Security Council resolutions, including resolutions 1718, 1874, and 2022. Such cooperation seriously undermines peace and stability in the international community. We therefore urge Russia and the DPRK to immediately cease their unlawful military cooperation. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council that adopted numerous resolutions on the DPRK and one of the countries that led the efforts to build their global nonproliferation regime, Russia has a significant responsibility to uphold the integrity of the international nonproliferation architecture. We urge them to promptly put an end to such illegal activities. Regarding the DPRK's denuclearization, the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is not a closed issue, but an ongoing one that must be addressed through dialogue and cooperation. The Korean government remains committed to achieving tangible progress toward peace on the Korean Peninsula and the resolution of the DPRK nuclear issue. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council that adopted Numerous resolution, as I repeat it, as I have already stated, on the DPRK, and one of the countries that was involved from the outset in the efforts to build the global non proliferation architecture. Russia has a responsibility to uphold the integrity of the international non-perfection architecture. In this regard, we expect Russia to join our efforts to the peaceful resolution of the DPRK nuclear issue. Taking this opportunity, I'd like to remind once again that our current government's policies toward the DPRK. The RK government seeks to promote peaceful coexistence and shared growth on the Korean Peninsula. Our government has taken proactive steps to reduce military tensions and build trust with the DPRK by suspending loudspeaker broadcasts against the DPRK, dismantling the loudspeakers installed in the frontline areas, and calling on relevant entities to halt the dissemination of liplets. We underscore that the RK government has been consistently pursuing the inter Korean relations based on reconciliation and cooperation. As our K government has reiterated on numerous occasions, we respect the DPRK system, will not pursue unification by absorption, and will not engage in any hostile acts toward DPRK. Furthermore, President Li Jiang Yang presented three blueprints for peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula on the address for the general debate on the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, aimed at promoting mutual respect and cooperation between the ROK and the DPRK, restoring inter Korean communication and establishing a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula. We hope the DPRK will respond positively to our earnest efforts. I thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. My delegation is compelled to take the floor again in response to the groundless and misleading accusations made by the ROK. The US and ROK's hostile policy toward the DPRK has remained unchanged, and the US and the ROK are now frantically conducting hostile military activities against the DPRK. This year alone, the US and ROK have persistently conducted joint military exercises without any space time gap, such as massive joint drills of the Freedom Shield, Ulti Freedom Shield, and combined large scale air drills of Freedom Plaque, Hercules Guardians, and Body Squadron. In addition, the US has approved the sale of various kinds of leader military hardwares to the ROK. Even though the US and ROK argue that those drills are annual and defensive in nature, the offensive the obvious confrontational nature of the high intensity, large scale war drills staged jointly by the most hostile entities at the doorstep of the DPRK will never change. The dangerous escalation of the war drears staged by the US and its followers is posing a more serious threat to the security of the DPRK, and this will lead to the further deterioration of the situation of the Korean Peninsula and the Asia Pacific region. No physical conflict has occurred in and around the Korean Peninsula, a hotspot of the world, and the security index is being maintained at a higher level than any other part of the globe. We owe it to the fact that the DPRK has a war deterrent in place powerful enough to break anyone's will to start a war of aggression against the DPRK. And our position on the ROK is clear. Nothing remains in the relations with the ROK, and if there is anything, it is only a cool-headed calculation and strict response for our national interests. The ongoing confrontational acts of the ROK, which takes issue with and violates the inviolable sovereignty and constitutional rights of the DPRK will never be tolerated any longer. We want ROK not to make any more provocative moves anymore on the doorstep of a nuclear weapon state. Thank you.
Verbatim from the transcript. A reply is identified from its own words, the Chair's grant, or its place in the right-of-reply sequence; delegations and addressees follow the transcript's attribution.