Italy Says to Expel North Korea Envoy over Nuclear, Missile Tests

North Korea’s ambassador to Italy will be expelled from the country in protest over Pyongyang’s recent nuclear and ballistic missile tests, Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano was quoted on Sunday as saying.


However, Alfano also told Italian daily La Repubblica that Italy would not sever its diplomatic relations with North Korea because he said it was useful to maintain a channel of communication.

“The ambassador will have to leave Italy,” Alfano said.

“We want to impress on Pyongyang that isolation is inevitable if they don’t change tack.”

The minister added that Spain had similarly declared the North Korean ambassador in Madrid “persona non grata”, while Portugal had severed diplomatic relations with Pyongyang, Reuters reported.
 (Tasnim)
  1/10/17