During the EP plenary session (11-14 September 2017) in Strasbourg,&nbsp;MEPs debate on the situation in North-Korea. Federica MOGHERINI, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice-President of the EC,&nbsp; David McALLISTER (EPP, DE), Nirj DEVA (ECR, UK), Hilde VAUTMANS (ALDE, BE), Javier COUSO PERMUY (GUE/NGL, ES) and Fabio Massimo CASTALDO (EFDD, IT).

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

EU - North Korea (T)

VAUTMANS, Hilde (Renew, BE)

McALLISTER, David (EPP, DE)

CASTALDO, Fabio Massimo (Renew, IT)

MOGHERINI, Federica (IT, EC)

DEVA, Nirj (ECR, UK)

COUSO PERMUY, Javier (GUE/NGL, ES)

Situation in North-Korea: extracts from the debate

SOUNDBITE (English), Federica MOGHERINI, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice-President of the EC, In moments like this against the unprecedented thread posed by North-Korea only a united international community can help build effective solutions. This is needed because we are still far from the goal of a complete verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. Yet the international community has done the right thing a few hours ago, strengthening the pressure on North-Korea while calling at the same time for a peaceful solution of the crisis through a meaningful credible political dialogue. Strengthening economic pressure, sanctions and keeping the door of dialogue open on the other way encouraging a meaningful political diplomatic solution.

SOUNDBITE (German), David McALLISTER (EPP, DE), It is also a direct and unacceptable violation of the country's international obligations. Colleagues we should therefore welcome at the UN Security Council on Monday unanimously adopted a US draft resolution to impose new sanctions on the regime in Pyongyang<em>.</em> It is a strong message that the international community it is not willing to accept a nuclear armed North-Korea.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nirj DEVA (ECR, UK), Denuclearisation must remain our medium term objective. Violations of the UN Security Council resolution inevitably leads to sanctions, that is a given.

SOUNDBITE (Dutch), Hilde VAUTMANS (ALDE, BE), If we look back in time everybody remembers the picture of the naked woman running from a nuclear explosion. We have seen the exhibitions, we have seen what can happens, let us do everything we can to make sure that we avoid this sort of thing happening again.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Javier COUSO PERMUY (GUE/NGL, ES), Sanctions have not really helped to solve any conflict in particular. The sanctions against Iraq for example led to half a million children dying. We need to stay within the framework of the UN and not break that framework as the US did in Iraq. We do not want to see a situation of threats and escalation, we want to be able to change the attitude of this country. We have seen who is really contributing to the breaking of the Charter of the UN.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Fabio Massimo CASTALDO (EFDD, IT), I think that it is absolutely vital that we have talks arranged in the same way as they were with Iran. We need to have a positive involvement of Russia and particularly of China too. We must use our best efforts to avoid anyone manipulation this crisis to their advantage, think of China for example.