A day after India and Japan pitched for stronger defence cooperation and pledged to combat the nuclear threat that the Asia-Pacific region faces, North Korea fired another missile over Japan. The intermediate-range missile was fired from Sunan, north of Pyongyang, early on the morning of September 15, that flew over Japan landing in the Pacific ocean about 2,000 km east of Hokkaido.
The North Korean issue figured prominently in the talks held at the 12th India-Japan summit in Gujarat, which culminated in a strongly worded joint statement on the issue. Both the countries deplored North Korea’s unrelenting nuclear weapons programme and uranium enrichment activities. The joint statement called for an end to “provocative actions” and demanded that countries in support of these tests should also be brought to book.
The latest missile test also comes four days after the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution to impose a ban on textiles exports and a cap on oil imports by North Korea. The rogue regime had quickly hit back, threatening to mete out “the greatest pain and suffering” that the US has ever faced. The recent missile launch is the longest ever flight carried out by Kim Jong’s regime.
“If North Korea continues to walk this road, there will be no bright future. We need to get North Korea to understand that,” said Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
The continued tests threaten to greatly alter the geopolitics of the Asia-Pacific region where a major conflict and nuclear crisis could erupt if Pyongyang’s nuclear activities are not curbed in the near term.
(Pritha Mahanti contributed inputs for this article)
Author Profile
- India Writes Network (www.indiawrites.org) is an emerging think tank and a media-publishing company focused on international affairs & the India Story. Centre for Global India Insights is the research arm of India Writes Network. To subscribe to India and the World, write to editor@indiawrites.org. A venture of TGII Media Private Limited, a leading media, publishing and consultancy company, IWN has carved a niche for balanced and exhaustive reporting and analysis of international affairs. Eminent personalities, politicians, diplomats, authors, strategy gurus and news-makers have contributed to India Writes Network, as also “India and the World,” a magazine focused on global affairs.
Latest entries
DiplomacyDecember 14, 2024India, Iran and Armenia Advance Connectivity Push with Trilateral Talks in New Delhi- DiplomacyDecember 13, 2024Brazil’s G20 Presidency will focus on tangible results on UNSC reforms, climate action
- DiplomacyDecember 6, 2024India and Vietnam Strengthen Security Ties at 3rd Deputy Ministerial-Level Dialogue
- India and the WorldDecember 6, 2024India and UK Revitalize Strategic Ties at 2+2 Dialogue in New Delhi
