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Canada is seeking a strong condemnation by G8 leaders of North Korea for the sinking of a South Korean warship, a top Canadian official said Saturday.
"Canada's view is that there has to be a strong condemnation of these attacks and that... we must state strongly that they must not carry on such attacks in the future," said Canadian government spokesman Dimitri Soudas.
The heads of the world's eight richest nations were set to debate North Korea's alleged sinking in March of the South Korean 1,200-tonne warship Cheonan at a second day of talks here.
The final communiqué will be watched closely by diplomats as it can set the stage for any UN action over the incident, which left 46 sailors dead.
The move comes as North and South Korea marked the 60th anniversary on Friday of the war that left the Korean peninsula divided.
"North Korea and the North Korean nuclear program remain a serious threat to global security," Soudas said, branding the sinking of the Cheonan "a very serious provocation and threat to regional and international stability."
He confirmed that G8 summit host Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper would continue to press for North Korea to return to the six-party talks aiming to encourage it to halt its suspect nuclear program.
