US & South Korea set up a group to block Russian oil supplies to DPRK
The United States and South Korea have set up a new working group to prevent North Korea from illegally purchasing oil, as the deadlock in the UN Security Council casts doubt on the future of international sanctions.
This was reported by Reuters.
The first meeting of the group was held in Washington on March 26. The meeting was attended by more than 30 officials from ministries and agencies responsible for diplomacy, intelligence, sanctions, and the maritime ban, according to a statement from the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The two sides expressed concern over Russia's oil supplies to North Korea and discussed ways to end the illegal cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang, the statement said.
"Oil is an essential resource for North Korea's nuclear and missile development and military posture," the statement said.
In particular, commercial satellite imagery shows that North Korean oil tankers, including some sanctioned vessels, have been visiting Russian ports in recent weeks.
A US-South Korea task force is considering potential actions to disrupt North Korea's oil procurement networks, including exposing sanctions evasion activities, imposing unilateral sanctions, and engaging the private sector and third parties across the region that knowingly or unwittingly facilitate oil supplies, the US State Department said.
In the future, the task force may address other areas of sanctions evasion, including the sale of coal.
