North Korea has defended its recent missile launches during a United Nations-sponsored Conference on Disarmament. 

The North’s Foreign Ministry said on Friday that Han Tae-song, the North’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva, argued during a conference meeting on Tuesday that its recent test-firings of new weapons are parts of measures to implement a mid- and long-term plan to develop defense science. 

He also claimed those launches do not pose any threat to the safety of neighboring countries and the region, adding they are not aimed at specific countries or forces but to deter wars. 

Criticizing the U.S. for what he calls “hostile policy” and “double standards,” Han demanded the U.S. permanently suspend military exercises in and around the Korean Peninsula and not introduce nuclear strategic assets to the region for safety and security of the peninsula. 

The North Korean diplomat's remarks came amid growing pressure on Pyongyang after it launched missiles six times within less than a month, four of which involve ballistic missiles banned under UN Security Council sanctions.