“SEOUL: North Korean UN Ambassador Dismisses New Sanctions Monitoring Efforts” – Efforts led by the US and other Western countries to form new groups to monitor sanctions on North Korea will fail, the country’s UN envoy said on Sunday (May 5).
“North Korean Ambassador Dismisses US-led Efforts on Sanctions Monitoring” – Ambassador Kim Song made the comment in response to a joint statement issued by the US and its allies this week, urging the continuation of UN panel of experts’ work monitoring longstanding sanctions against Pyongyang for its nuclear weapons and missile programs.
“Russia’s Veto on UN Panel Renewal Sparks US Allegations of North Korea Arms Transfers” – Earlier this year, Russia vetoed the annual renewal of a panel of experts, triggering US-led accusations that North Korea has transferred weapons to Russia for use in its war in Ukraine. “North Korean Ambassador Warns Hostile Forces: New Expert Panels Will ‘Self-Destruct'” – Kim was quoted by KCNA as saying that even if hostile forces form a second or a third panel of experts, they will “self-destruct.”
Last month, US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield visited the demilitarised zone, a heavily fortified border between the two Koreas, which remain technically at war and urged Russia and China to stop rewarding North Korea for its bad behaviour.
Her trip came after Russia rejected the annual renewal of the multinational panel of experts that has over the past 15 years monitored the implementation of UN sanctions aimed at curbing North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.
