The European Union has been committed to working with Tokyo to tackle North Korea's nuclear weapon threats, the EU ambassador to Japan said Wednesday, adding it has maintained diplomatic channels with Pyongyang just in case, to avoid a military conflict.

The regional bloc has been trying to put pressure on North Korea in tandem with the United States, Japan and South Korea, sharing the view that Pyongyang is a "top priority on the international agenda," Viorel Isticioaia-Budura said in an interview with Kyodo News.

On Monday, EU foreign ministers decided to step up unilateral sanctions on Pyongyang, including banning member states from investing in North Korea and selling oil and oil products to the Asian country, which are the "most rigid" in the world and much stricter than those imposed by the U.N. Security Council, he said.

Tokyo, Washington and Seoul have pledged to continue increasing pressure on North Korea to encourage it to abandon its nuclear and ballistic missile development programs.

As the three countries have kept a hard-line stance on Pyongyang, fears are growing that the crisis cannot be resolved through dialogue and a military conflict could break out between the United States and North Korea.

If Pyongyang succeeds in developing intercontinental ballistic missiles, Europe could fall within their range.

"We want to avoid, by any means, the situation of military conflict," Isticioaia-Budura said. "Unfortunately, the consequences of military conflict would be totally unpredictable and certainly very dramatic (for people in the entire world)."

"We are allowed to keep in touch with North Korean authorities" as many countries in the European Union have diplomatic relations with Pyongyang, he said.

"A number of (EU) member states have diplomatic representations on the ground in Pyongyang. We see these local representations being good channels through which we can convey our views" to North Korea, Isticioaia-Budura said.

"We believe that these channels have a value," he said, adding, "We believe that using these might be also important for Japan." Tokyo has no diplomatic ties with Pyongyang.

Europe went through wars for "hundreds and hundreds of years" and the "bloody history" led political leaders in the region to the view they have to find a "political conclusion" to thrive, Isticioaia-Budura said.

Denuclearization and stability on the Korean Peninsula "can only be achieved by diplomatic and political solution," he added.

Isticioaia-Budura stressed that the European Union will make efforts to prevent the occurrence of a catastrophe, saying the regional bloc has "accumulated experience" as a negotiator to resolve crises in the past.

He said the European Union, on behalf of the international community, took the initiative to conclude a nuclear deal reached by Iran and six major powers including the United States, under which Tehran agreed to curb its nuclear development activities in exchange for the lifting of sanctions.

This shows "how much the European Union can participate in a joint effort in addressing a very complex, very sensitive and important issue for international peace -- nonproliferation," the EU envoy said.

The interview was conducted hours after China's twice-a-decade Communist Party congress started in Beijing, with expectations mounting President Xi Jinping will enter his second term with much stronger power.

Although concerns are lingering that China's military buildup and territorial ambitions in the East and South China seas could undermine relations between Tokyo and Beijing, Isticioaia-Budura expressed optimistic views on the two countries' ties.

"I was really pleased to see Prime Minister (Shinzo) Abe coming with a very strong, engaging, and positive message in respect to Japan-China relations" at a ceremony to celebrate China's founding day in Tokyo late last month, he said.

"As friends and strategic partners of Japan and China both, we hope to see this appeal being implemented and resulting in good neighborhood relations and cooperation between Japan and China," Isticioaia-Budura added.

At the event, Abe said he is eager to visit China sometime soon, vowing to accelerate efforts to improve bilateral ties.

It was Abe's first participation in the annual ceremonies as prime minister, according to the Foreign Ministry. Abe served as prime minister for a year through September 2007 and returned to power in December 2012.

(Noriyuki Suzuki contributed to this story)