SEOUL, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Saturday condemned the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)'s recently approved fuel network overhaul plan, casting it as an "unprecedented" effort to prepare for war and evidence that the alliance is becoming "a more aggressive military bloc."

The condemnation came in a commentary carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), as NATO approved the Fuel Supply Chain Capability Programme Plan last month, which seeks to modernize and expand its Cold War-era military fuel pipeline and storage network across Europe.

The commentary indicated that Pyongyang is keeping close tabs on NATO's military movements at a time when its forces have been deployed to support Russia's war in Ukraine, while the transatlantic alliance continues to provide military assistance to Kyiv.

"Originally, there were disagreements among the member states because of the huge cost, but they were finally settled. This shows that NATO is clinging to the provision of strategic reserves for war while regarding it as a vital matter," the commentary said.

"What merits an attention is that foreign news are commenting that NATO worked out such an ambitious plan to cope with a potential war with Russia," it added.

Pyongyang further alleged that the initiative reflected NATO's intention to stockpile military supplies for future conflicts.

"In a word, it is the evil intention of NATO to stockpile enough fuel and other war supplies and thus kindle the flames of war any time in any part of the world," the report said. "Several decades have passed since NATO was founded as a military bloc but it is unprecedented that it prepares for war so openly as now."

Moreover, the North accused NATO of expanding its military presence into the Asia-Pacific region, arguing that it frequently stages "adventurous military demonstrations in the vicinity of the Korean Peninsula in collusion with the hostile countries towards the DPRK," the KCNA said.

DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The commentary pointed to the participation of Germany, Italy and other NATO members in the recently concluded biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise in and around the Hawaiian Islands, describing it as proof that the alliance "always keeps the Asia-Pacific region as the theatre of war."

"The grave nature of NATO as a war bloc is becoming more obvious," the commentary said, warning that "to hasten war is to hasten NATO's ruin."

graceoh@yna.co.kr

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