KUWAIT: Kuwait’s decision to cut North Koran diplomatic presence in the country follows a UN Security Council plan to stiffen sanctions on Pyongyang over its missile and nuclear tests, said a source at the Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry yesterday.

Among the measures taken by Kuwait include a ban on visas for North Korean citizens, halting flights to and from Pyongyang, in addition to severing trade with the isolated country and slashing its diplomatic staff, the source added. “Amid escalating tension in the Korean peninsula and North Korea’s continued defiance of UN resolutions, Kuwait has taken the initiative to relegate North Korea’s diplomatic representation to the position of charge d’affaires,” the source noted. “Kuwait is concerned over the status quo in the Korean peninsula and urges all sides to maintain composure and work towards a diplomatic solution that would avert destruction and warfare,” it said. — KUNA