Leaders of the Group of Seven countries reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea during a summit in France.
The G7 leaders from the United States, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and Italy issued the statement on geopolitical issues after their meeting in Evian-les-Bains from Monday to Wednesday.
"We express deep concern about North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs and reaffirm our commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions," they said in the statement.
They also urged Pyongyang to immediately resolve the issue of abductees and reiterated the need to jointly address North Korea's cryptocurrency thefts and cybercrimes.
The leaders highlighted the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific based on the rule of law in an apparent expression of concern over China's growing assertiveness in the region.
