Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj on Thursday said a solution to bring back stability in the Korean Peninsula must address India’s concerns on nuclear proliferation links in the neighbourhood, PTI reported.

“We have been consistently supportive of efforts to bring about peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula,” she said while addressing the BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session in New York.

“We believe that any solution to the issue of Korean Peninsula must address concerns about the proliferation linkages with India’s neighbourhood,” Swaraj said in an apparent reference to Pakistan, which shares defence ties with North Korea.

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Since the 1970s, Pakistan and North Korea have cooperated on the development of ballistic missile and nuclear weapons technologies, according to defence analysts.

Swaraj said armed-conflicts in different parts are of intra-state nature with the proliferation of non-state actors and terrorist-networks with global reach. The Union minister added that conflicts in Syria, Libya, Iraq and Yemen pose security challenges in the region. She expressed concerns about tensions on the border of Gaza and Israel.

Swaraj said India believes dialogue is the only viable option to address issues in the region. She added that New Delhi has increased its contribution to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees to $5 million (Rs 36.29 crore).

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She urged the members of the BRICS nations to not be divided among themselves on the question of United Nations Security Council reforms, PTI reported.

Earlier in the day, Swaraj said an environment of peace and security is essential for regional cooperation on progress and economic development in South Asia. She made the remark while addressing member nations of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation