Italy Says to Expel North Korea Envoy over Nuclear, Missile Tests

However, Alfano also told Italian daily La Repubblica that Italy would not sever its diplomatic relations with North Korea because he said it was useful to maintain a channel of communication.

"The ambassador will have to leave Italy,” Alfano said.

"We want to impress on Pyongyang that isolation is inevitable if they don’t change tack.”

The minister added that Spain had similarly declared the North Korean ambassador in Madrid "persona non grata”, while Portugal had severed diplomatic relations with Pyongyang, Reuters reported.

North Korea is fast advancing toward its goal of developing a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the US mainland. It conducted its sixth and largest nuclear test on Sept. 3 and has threatened to test a hydrogen bomb over the Pacific.

On Saturday the United States said it was directly communicating with North Korea on its nuclear and missile programs but that Pyongyang had shown no interest in dialogue.