The U.S. State Department said that the world should hold North Korea to account for its provocations and send a clear signal that there will be consequences for continued hostilities.

Department spokesperson Ned Price made the remarks on Thursday during a press briefing, underlining the importance to regional peace and security of the global community holding the North responsible and making clear that there are costs and consequences for its provocations.

Price also conveyed the U.S. message to all countries, especially permanent members of the UN Security Council that voted for various Security Council resolutions against the North, that all nations have a responsibility to enforce the resulting sanctions, noting that China and Russia do not always do so.

The spokesperson said that Washington has made clear to Pyongyang that the U.S. is ready, willing and able to sit down with the North for discussions on practical steps toward the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

He added that North Korea, however, indicated that it has no desire at present to engage.