Amid the escalating nuclear stand-off between the United States and North Korea, Italy's defence minister Roberta Pinotti on Wednesday urged the world to keep up political and diplomatic dialogue with the rogue regime and to involve China and Russia in this process.
"In the case of North Korea, we have always underlined that the crisis is not just regional but concerns everyone," Pinotti said on the sidelines of a NATO ministers meeting in Brussels.
"We will continue to take the view that while sanctions are needed to bring home the world's preoccupation, we must keep political and diplomatic channels open, Pinotti stated.
"By involving Russia and China, we can de-escalate the tensions... which are currently very high indeed," Pinotti said.
Italy is currently sits on the United Nations Security Council and holds the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council's sanctions committee for North Korea.
