New Delhi: A joint statement on sanctions targeting the transfer of arms from North Korea to Russia has been issued by the foreign ministers of Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the European Union and the United States of America.
The ministers say that the sanctions are a coordinated effort to hold North Korea and Russia to account for the unlawful transfer of arms, which they say have been used by Russia to strike Ukraine’s critical infrastructure, thus “prolonging the suffering of the Ukrainian people.” The statement also condemns Russia’s veto of a United Nations Security Council resolution that would have extended the mandate of the UN 1718 Committee Panel of Experts, which monitors the implementation of Security Council resolutions concerning North Korea.
The ministers call on North Korea and Russia to immediately cease the transfer of arms and take concrete steps towards abandoning all nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles and related programmes. They also urge the two countries to respond to the offers to return to diplomacy and reach an enduring peace on the Korean Peninsula. The sanctions target individuals and entities involved in the transfer of arms from North Korea to Russia for use in Ukraine, including the military, aviation, defense industrial base, and research and development.