UN sanctions have been imposed on North Korea for a long time due to its nuclear and missile programs (French)

On Thursday, Russia used its veto power to prevent the annual renewal of a committee of experts monitoring the implementation of long-imposed United Nations sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. South Korea considered the Russian veto “irresponsible.”

China abstained from voting, while the remaining 13 members of the Security Council voted in favor of renewing the committee.

The South Korean Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Seoul "clearly confirms that the Russian Federation has taken an irresponsible decision even though it is a permanent member of the UN Security Council."

South Korea's ambassador to the United Nations, Jeon-kook Hwang, said the Russian veto was "almost like destroying a surveillance camera to avoid being caught in the act."

Seoul's position came shortly after Washington denounced the Russian veto and considered it an attempt by Moscow to hide its increasing military cooperation with Pyongyang.

US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said, "Russia's actions today cynically undermined international peace and security, all in order to advance the corrupt deal that Moscow struck with North Korea."

Robert Wood, US Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations, told the Council, "Moscow undermines the possibility of reaching a peaceful and diplomatic solution to one of the most serious issues of nuclear proliferation in the world."

The move comes amid accusations led by the United States that North Korea is transferring weapons to Russia for Moscow to use in the war in Ukraine. Moscow and Pyongyang deny these accusations, although they pledged last year to strengthen military relations.

The Committee of Independent Experts has been monitoring the implementation of UN sanctions imposed on North Korea over the past 15 years, submitting reports twice annually to the Security Council and recommending action to improve implementation of the measures. The mandate of the current Committee will expire on April 30, 2024.

Since 2006, North Korea has been subject to international sanctions specifically related to its nuclear program, and these were tightened several times in 2016 and 2017.

Since 2019, Russia and China have been trying in vain to persuade the Council to ease these sanctions, the expiration date of which has not been set.

Source: Agencies