European members of UN Security Council request meeting on North Korea: Diplomats

European countries with seats on the UN Security Council have requested that the panel meet to discuss North Korea's latest missile launches, diplomats said Friday.

France, Estonia, Ireland, Norway and Britain have asked for a closed-door meeting of the council on Tuesday, the diplomats said.

Separately, a UN sanctions committee focused on nuclear-armed North Korea has asked its experts to investigate Pyongyang's launch of missiles on Thursday, diplomats said.

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The panel is composed of the same 15 countries that sit on the Security Council. The request to the experts was made Friday in a closed-door meeting of the committee.

North Korea launched two weapons from its east coast Thursday, with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga calling them ballistic missiles.

It was North Korea's first substantive provocation since Joe Biden took power as US president in January.

The sanctions committee met after an urgent request made Thursday by the United States.