The chief diplomats of the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Britain, Japan and the High Representative of the European Union pose as they meet for the G7 foreign ministerial meeting on the margins of the Munich Security Conference (MSC), in Munich, Germany, Feb. 15. EPA-Yonhap

The top diplomats of the Group of Seven (G7) countries called on North Korea Saturday to abandon all its nuclear weapons in a "complete, verifiable and irreversible" manner, while reaffirming their commitment to the "complete denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula.

The chief diplomats of the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Britain, Japan and the High Representative of the European Union issued a joint statement after they met on the margins of an international security conference in Munich, Germany.

"The G7 members expressed serious concern over the DPRK's nuclear and ballistic missile programs and reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," the diplomats said in the statement. DPRK is short for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"They demanded that the DPRK abandon all its nuclear weapons, existing nuclear programs, and any other weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner in accordance with all relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions," they added.

The officials underscored that North Korea's direct support for Russia's war against Ukraine marks a "dangerous expansion of the conflict, with serious consequences for European and Indo-Pacific security.".

"They urged the DPRK to cease immediately all assistance for Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, including by withdrawing its troops," the statement read. "They called upon DPRK to resolve the abductions issue immediately."

In a message for China, the G7 members reiterated "their commitment to a free, open and secure Indo-Pacific region, grounded in respect for the rule of law and sovereignty."

"They strongly opposed any attempts to change unilaterally the status quo using force and underscored the importance of resolving disputes peacefully," they said. "They strongly opposed China's attempts to restrict freedom of navigation through militarization and coercive activities in the South China Sea." (Yonhap)