The leaders of the Group of Eight (G8) nations have urged North Korea to stop conducting nuclear tests and scrap its missile development program.

The G8 leaders made the call in a joint statement as they wrapped up their two-day summit in Northern Ireland.

The leaders urged the North in the statement to observe international obligations and abandon its nuclear weapons program in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner.

They also called on the North to take part in multilateral talks in a constructive manner and stop engaging in provocations. The statement stressed that if the North fails to do so, sanctions against the North under UN resolutions will be further strengthened.

The statement also mentioned the repatriation of North Korean escapees for the first time.

The leaders urged North Korea to earnestly address the international community's concern over the human rights situation of the escapees.