Spokesman for DPRK Foreign Ministry Issues

Press Statement

Pyongyang, December 19 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of the
DPRK released the following press statement titled "We will not impose any
restrictions on defending and exercising the legitimate right granted to our sovereign
state" on Dec. 19:
Recently the U.S., together with G7 member states, the ROK, Australia, New
Zealand and EU, cooked up and released a "joint statement" distorting and
slandering the essence of the normal cooperative relations between the DPRK and
the Russian Federation, getting hell-bent on creating the international atmosphere of
sanctions and pressure on the DPRK.
The hostile act of the U.S. and its vassal forces constitutes a serious threat
undermining the foundation of international peace and security, which goes beyond a
politically-motivated provocation wantonly infringing upon the sovereignty of
sovereign states.
The DPRK Foreign Ministry expresses serious concern and protest, denouncing and
rejecting in the strongest terms the reckless provocation of the U.S. and its vassal
forces, which have turned into a group of gangsters flouting the recognized principle
of international law with sovereignty equality and noninterference in others' internal
affairs as the core in a bid to secure their illegal hegemony and interests.
The Ukrainian war has been prolonged and the security situation in Europe and the
Asia-Pacific region has become more unstable. It is because of the misguided acts
of the U.S. and the West persisting in their structure-destructive, hegemony-oriented
and adventuristic military policy and policy of exclusive alliance.
It is necessary to take notice of this - who gains profits and who suffers harm due to
the "diplomatic legacy" of the outgoing U.S. administration leaving the arena of
history in shame.
The hostile forces' madness in response to the DPRK-Russia relations goes to prove
that the strengthened cooperative relations between independent sovereign states
are very effective in deterring the U.S. and the West's ill-intended extension of
influence and ensuring the balance of power indispensable for defending global
peace and security.

2

The U.S. and its allies' threatening acts of causing instability and confusion in
different parts of the world to fulfil their illegitimate and outrageous geopolitical
ambition only add new justification and motive power to the DPRK's bolstering of its
national power to more reliably guarantee the national security and global peace.
If the U.S. persists in resorting to its anachronistic scenario in disregard of the
changed reality, it will only bring to it repeated failures in dealing with the DPRK and
a new source of trouble.
The improper behavior of some Western countries, accustomed to being satisfied
with the incidental interests resulting from their blind kowtowing to the U.S. and
devoid of even the elementary courtesy in relations between countries, can never be
welcomed by the DPRK.
The DPRK will firmly safeguard its legitimate right as a sovereign state, put no
restrictions on exercising it and continue to make crucial efforts to preserve regional
and global peace and security. -0-