PARIS (Reuters) - French President Francois Hollande strongly condemned North Korea's carrying out of a third nuclear test on Tuesday and said it was working with its United Nations Security Council partners on a firm response.

"France demands again that North Korea conform without delay to its international obligations and begin a complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement of its nuclear and ballistic program," Hollande said in a statement.

He said North Korea must refrain from any further action that could increase tensions in the region.

(Reporting by John Irish; Editing by Catherine Bremer and Patrick Graham)