London - Arabstoday
Britain said on Friday it had no immediate plans to withdraw its diplomats from North Korea but said it was discussing its next moves with international partners. “We are consulting international partners about these developments. No decisions have been taken, and we have no immediate plans to withdraw our embassy,” the Foreign Office said in a statement. Russia also received the notice and is in close contact with partners including China over its implications, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. “The suggestion was made to all embassies in Pyongyang and we are trying to clarify the situation,” Russian news agencies quoted Lavrov as saying on a visit to Uzbekistan. Diplomatic sources said the embassies of EU member states in Pyongyang were “in permanent contact and are assessing the situation” after North Korea said it could not guarantee their safety after April 10. The diplomatic escalation of the crisis came as an increasingly bellicose North Korea moved two mid-range missiles to its east coast.The Pentagon warned Pyongyang on Friday that “further provocative action would be regrettable.”“Missile tests outside their international obligations would be a provocative act. They need to follow international norms and abide by their commitments,” Pentagon spokesman George Little told reporters. source : Gulftoday