(WASHINGTON) - U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, commented today on reports that North Korea informed the UN Security Council that it is in the final stages of the uranium enrichment process.  Statement by Ros-Lehtinen:

"North Korea’s admission that it has reached the 'concluding stage' of its uranium enrichment program demonstrates that current U.S. policy toward that outlaw regime has failed.

"U.S. outreach and concessions to the North Korean regime have only encouraged it to accelerate its nuclear weapons program, using two separate tracks to advance its menacing agenda.

"The U.S. should learn from its mistakes and impose the maximum pressure on the regime, beginning with putting it back on the State Sponsors of Terrorism list.

"At the international level, the UN’s ability to stop North Korea's threat to global peace and security will be tested at the upcoming meeting of the UN General Assembly as it reviews UN Security Council sanctions on North Korea.  Let us hope responsible nations will act decisively to counter the missile and nuclear proliferation threat posed by the North Korean regime."

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