EU Countries' Arms Sale to Mideast Will Only Stoke Instability and Confrontation: KCNA Commentary

Pyongyang, August 16 (KCNA) -- European countries' recent massive arms sales to the Mideast countries where the situation remains complicated are arousing concern of the international community. According to a report released by international survey organizations, a lot of weapons exported by east European countries for the past 4 years are being used by terrorist organizations like "Islamic State". The European public and media are terming the arms sales of European countries an "act of exporting death." They comment that the situation in the war-torn Mideast including civil wars in Syria and Yemen are tragic consequences of the irresponsible arms export policy by the governments of European countries. This goes to prove that the reckless arms sales of European countries have become another factor of increasing tensions and fostering human rights abuses in the dispute-torn Mideast. EU arms export regulations stipulate that export of military technology and supplies should be banned in case they may be used for sparking or prolonging armed clashes and escalating tensions in the country which purchased them. Laws of European countries concerning arms control ban arms sale if weapons create the danger of wrecking peace or being used for a war. As European countries massively sold weapons to dispute-torn Mideast for raking up profits in disregard of those regulations, the situation is getting tenser and the refugee crisis is now beyond control. Their sale of offensive weapons to south Korea, in particular, is resulting in escalating reckless confrontation to disturb regional peace and security. In the past European countries talked about "stability of situation" and "peace" louder than any others. Politicians of Europe said that Europe would make a positive contribution to bringing about detente and promoting the peace process on the Korean peninsula. It is, indeed, preposterous for European countries to take issue with the DPRK over its just steps for self-defence, terming them "violations of international law." European countries would be well advised to keep mum if they are not in a position to do anything helpful to ensuring peace on the Korean peninsula. -0-