DPRK praises Moscow's veto for blocking UN sanctions monitoring
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Permanent Representative of the DPRK to the UN Kim Song lauded Russia's action "as an independent exercise of the right to international justice and impartiality."
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DPRK and Russian flags are seen at the Vostochny cosmodrome outside the city of Tsiolkovsky, about 200 kilometers (125 miles) from the city of Blagoveshchensk in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, on Sept. 13, 2023 (AP)
Permanent Representative of the DPRK to the UN Kim Song on Thursday expressed gratitude to Russia for exercising its veto power to block the renewal of an expert sanctions panel monitoring Pyongyang, effectively halting official UN oversight of sanctions on the nation.
Ambassador Kim Song lauded Russia's action "as an independent exercise of the right to international justice and impartiality."
Since 2006, the DPRK government has faced extensive sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council over its nuclear program. For the past four years, Russia and China have been actively pushing for the Security Council to ease the sanctions, which currently lack an expiration date.
Moscow's recent veto at the Security Council doesn't terminate the sanctions but prevents the council from renewing the yearly mandate for a panel of experts responsible for monitoring the implementation of sanctions and investigating numerous alleged violations.
According to Russia's UN envoy Vasily Nebenzia, without an annual review to evaluate and potentially adjust the sanctions, maintaining the panel of experts is deemed unwarranted.
"The panel has continued to focus on trivial matters that are not commensurate with the problems facing the peninsula," Nebenzia said on March 28. "Russia has called for the council to adopt a decision to hold an open and honest review of the Council sanctions... on an annual basis."
Read more: Russia doesn't rule out DPRK nuclear test amid US provocation: Envoy
This move sparked criticism from Western nations, including South Korea, who allege the DPRK of shipping thousands of containers of weapons to Moscow, allegedly for use in Ukraine.
In its latest report released at the start of March, the sanctions panel said that the DPRK persisted in violating sanctions, such as launching ballistic missiles and exceeding oil import restrictions. It further mentioned ongoing investigations into allegations of arms shipments from Pyongyang to Russia for potential use in Ukraine.
Russia has rejected the allegations, noting that such assumptions are a complete fabrication and that Moscow has the right to develop friendly relations with its neighbors.
During a debate at the General Assembly following the veto, Ambassador Kim condemned what he described as "the heinous hostile policy of the US to trample underfoot (DPRK's) sovereignty (and) right to development and existence."
