The European Union on Thursday imposed additional sanctions on North Korea over nuclear and ballistic missile tests which it said threatened international security. The move comes at a time of increased tensions as North Korea presses ahead with nuclear and missile programmes which have badly rattled the United States and its allies Japan and South Korea.
North Korea is high on the agenda of the first summit later Thursday between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, with Washington pressing Beijing to do more to rein in Pyongyang.
In a statement, the EU called on North Korea to resume talks with the international community, "to cease its provocations and to abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programmes as well as other weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programmes." It said it imposed the new sanctions because North Korea's actions "violate multiple UN resolutions and constitute a grave threat to international peace and security in the region and beyond."