North Korea defended its right to increase military capabilities in the face of “danger of the U.S. and their followers” at a summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) this month, according to North Korean state media on Monday. 

DPRK Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son Gyong attended the summit of 120 countries unaligned with traditional major power blocs, which ran from Jan. 15 to 20 in Uganda.

According to the party-run Rodong Sinmun, Kim underscored that North Korea’s conduct is “fully consistent” with the stance of NAM, which he said stands firmly against any infringement on a country’s sovereign rights.