EU Statement at the IAEA Board of Governors on the Application of safeguards in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, 11 June 2025

Chair,  

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The following countries align themselves with this statement: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Montenegro, Monaco, North Macedonia, San Marino, Norway and Ukraine. 

The EU thanks the Director General for the update provided on the DPRK in his opening statement. 

The EU condemns the DPRK’s unlawful and destabilising actions that undermine regional and international peace and security. We urge the DPRK to comply with its obligations under UN Security Council resolutions and abandon all its nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, its ballistic missile programmes and its existing nuclear programmes, in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner.  

The DPRK cannot and will never have the status of a nuclear weapon state in accordance with the NPT, or any other special status in this regard. We welcome that this was clearly reiterated through a statement jointly delivered by 83 states and the EU on the occasion of the NPT PrepCom in New York last month. We remain alarmed about the statements made by Russian officials considering the DPRK’s denuclearisation as a "closed issue", which is inconsistent with Russia´s NPT obligations. We urge the DPRK to return to compliance with the NPT and the IAEA Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement, and to bring into force an Additional Protocol.  

We remain deeply concerned about the ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’ Treaty signed during President Putin’s visit to Pyongyang last June, which includes a reference to cooperation on nuclear energy. We call on Russia to abide by its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Any transfer of nuclear or ballistic missile-related technology from Russia to the DPRK would be another serious violation of UN Security Council Resolutions.  

We condemn in the strongest possible terms the expanding military cooperation between the DPRK and Russia as outlined in the recent report of the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT). This includes the DPRK’s deployment of troops and the transfer of arms to Russia, in particular ballistic missiles, in direct support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. We call on the DPRK and Russia to immediately cease these activities, which are a flagrant violation of UN Security Council Resolutions. 

Chair, 

The DPRK’s recurrent statements that it intends to increase its nuclear arsenal are deeply worrisome. Our concern is amplified by the DPRK’s ongoing nuclear activities, including indications related to expanding plutonium production and uranium enrichment capacities, as well as the DPRK’s repeated ballistic missile launches, conducted in violation of UN Security Council resolutions. The continued preparedness of the Punggye-Ri testing facilities to support a nuclear test remains deeply troubling.  

We urge the DPRK to refrain from testing nuclear weapons and to reaffirm the moratorium on long-range ballistic missile testing and nuclear tests. The DPRK must sign and ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), without further delay or preconditions. 

All UN Member States, especially members of the Security Council, must ensure the full implementation of UN Security Council resolutions. We stress that UN sanctions remain fully in place. 

Chair, 

The EU urges the DPRK to return to diplomacy and to engage in meaningful discussions with all relevant parties and to take steps aimed at pursuing the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula. This includes the IAEA’s return to the DPRK. The EU stands ready to support any such efforts. 

We express our appreciation for the IAEA’s monitoring of the DPRK’s nuclear activities, and readiness to engage with the DPRK, including on the issue of nuclear safety.  

The EU requests the Director General to keep the Board of Governors informed of any developments and to maintain this item on its agenda. 

Thank you, Chair.