WASHINGTON, The U.S. mission to the United Nations called Tuesday for “all” U.N. member states to prevent any offer of financial services that could help North Korea’s prohibited weapons programs, following a report that Russia has allowed the partial release of frozen North Korean assets.
Citing American-allied intelligence officials, the New York Times reported last week that Russia has allowed the release of US$9 million out of $30 million in frozen North Korean assets deposited in a Russian financial institution.
“Under Security Council resolutions, all U.N. Member States are required to prevent the provision of financial services to the DPRK that could contribute to the DPRK’s prohibited programs or to the evasion of measures imposed by certain resolutions,” a spokesperson of the New York-based mission told Yonhap News Agency via email.
“We remind all Member States of their Security Council obligations,” the official added. DPRK stands for the North’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic o
f Korea.
The mission refused to confirm the media report, but called it “concerning.”
“It’s no secret that the DPRK has long-sought means to evade U.N. sanctions in order to advance its unlawful weapons of mass destruction program,” it said.
The mission also criticized Pyongyang’s policy choices that it said “impoverished” its country.
“It is the DPRK regime’s own policies, not UN sanctions, that have ‘impoverished’ the country,” it said. “No Member State can unilaterally decide to ignore Security Council resolutions — certainly not a permanent Security Council member.”
Russia’s reported move to unlock part of the frozen North Korean assets came amid concerns that Moscow would take action to compensate for Pyongyang’s supplies of ballistic missiles and munitions to Russia for use in Ukraine.
Source: Yonhap News Agency