South Korea and the European Union reaffirmed their commitment to the policy of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and stated that North Korea will never be recognized as a nuclear-weapon state. This is stated in a joint statement adopted after talks between South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President António Costa in Brussels, Bloomberg reports, according to UNN.
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During the meeting, the parties also agreed to strengthen cooperation in the field of security and defense, particularly regarding intelligence sharing. The joint statement emphasizes that "the DPRK will never be recognized as a nuclear-weapon state."
The statement comes amid discussions regarding a possible shift in China's approach to North Korea's nuclear program. During Chinese leader Xi Jinping's recent visit to Pyongyang, the issue of denuclearization was not publicly mentioned, although it had previously been one of the key elements of the Chinese position. This has sparked speculation that Beijing may effectively tolerate the DPRK's status as a nuclear-weapon state.
In addition, the EU and South Korea condemned the deepening military cooperation between Russia and North Korea. European leaders also called on Moscow to agree to a full ceasefire in Ukraine and to resume the negotiation process to end the war.
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