France's Defense Minister: Nuclear Proliferation in North Korea is Concerning

French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu noted that "nuclear-armed countries bear a special responsibility in preventing nuclear weapons proliferation. France's American, British, Russian, and Chinese friends know this." In a speech delivered at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, he emphasized that "nuclear-armed states have a special responsibility in combating [nuclear weapons] proliferation. I say this as a [representative] of a nuclear state, and our American and British friends know this, as do our Russian and Chinese friends." Lecornu also pointed out that "nuclear proliferation is also a source of concern when it comes to North Korea." He urged in his speech to avoid "double standards in international law." The Shangri-La Dialogue is an annual international government security forum hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), attended by defense ministers and other military leaders from 28 countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The forum has been named after the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore, where it has been held since 2002.