Justin Trudeau condemns North Korean missile testing, asks UN to step in

Trudeau says North Korea is only further isolating itself by the continued testing. (Photo: The Prime Minister’s website)

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has condemned North Korea’s latest nuclear weapon testing and is urging the United Nations to take further steps to contain the country’s nuclear proliferation efforts.

North Korea’s nuclear test and “aggressive” missile testing program “represents a clear and present threat to the safety and security of its neighbours and the international community,” Trudeau said in a statement released Sunday.

He says North Korea is only further isolating itself by the continued testing.

The statement called on the UN Security Council “to take further decisive action to effectively constrain North Korea’s proliferation efforts.”

North Korea announced this weekend that it had detonated its sixth and most powerful nuclear test yet, which it declared a “perfect success.”

Trudeau also stated that Canada would continue to work with allies including South Korea, Japan, and the U.S., but did not provide more details on his government’s involvement.

Erin O’Toole, the new Conservative foreign affairs critic, said last week that North Korea’s increased capability to potentially reach North America with a long-range missile changes the conversation, and that Canada should consider joining the U.S. ballistic missile defence shield.

Former Liberal senator Romeo Dallaire has also said that he thinks Canada should join.

Trudeau has said that Canada would not get involved in the missile defence shield, a stance that was criticized by several other politicians.

Canada was invited to join the American continental missile-shield system more than a decade ago, but then-prime minister Paul Martin opted against it in 2005 following an extremely divisive national debate.

The Conservative government under Stephen Harper was likewise unwilling to reopen the debate, despite having supported Canada’s participation in ballistic missile defence while in opposition.