New York, June 12 (DPA) UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon Thursday criticised North Korea for pursuing its nuclear ambitions and hampering the global campaign for nuclear disarmament.
Ban, a former South Korean foreign minister, said the nuclear test conducted by North Korea in May and subsequent launches of ballistic missiles ran counter to disarmament.

“It hampers the efforts of the international community, the US and Russia, which have started their nuclear disarmament,” Ban said.

The US and Russia have begun a new round of talks towards a fresh agreement, replacing the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty adopted by the Soviet Union and the US during the Cold War.

“All the actions taken by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea run counter to, not only UN Security Council resolutions, but also the ongoing international community’s efforts (at disarmament),” Ban said.

The 15-nation council is discussing a new resolution containing tougher measures aimed at stopping Pyongyang’s imports of weapons, military equipment and nuclear technology and its exports of arms and nuclear products to other countries.

The council’s five permanent members - the US, Russia, France, Britain and China - have agreed on interdictions of cargo, being transported by sea or air, suspected to be carrying prohibited weapons and nuclear materials to and from North Korea.

The council has not decided when it would vote on the draft resolution worked out by the five permanent members plus Japan and South Korea.