UNSC IMPOSES NEW, TOUGH SANCTIONS ON N KOREA

UN Security Council has passed a resolution imposing new sanctions on North Korea for its continued intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) testing and violations of UN resolutions, the media reported.

US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, speaking at the Security Council meeting where the vote took place on Saturday, said, “Monday (July 31), we said that the time for talking was over and that it was time for action. Today you’re going to see the action. It’s going to hit hard but it’s going to make a strong point to North Korea that all this ICBM and this nuclear irresponsibility has to stop.”.

With 15 votes in favour, Resolution 2371 was passed unanimously.

The resolution targets North Korea’s primary exports, including coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore, seafood and other revenue streams, such as banks and joint ventures with foreign companies. The sanctions will slash North Korea’s annual export revenue of $3 billion by more than a third, according to a statement from Haley’s office.

The resolution represents “the strongest sanctions ever imposed in response to a ballistic missile test”, the statement said. Pyongyang tested two ICBMs in July, claiming it now had the ability to hit US. Haley praised the unanimous vote on the resolution, saying that the UN “spoke with one voice”.

“To have China stand with us, along with Japan and S Korea and the rest of the international community telling North Korea to do this, it’s pretty impactful,” the UN ambassador said in an interview after the vote.

“This was a strong day in the UN, it was a strong day for the United States and it was a strong day for the international community. It was not a good day for North Korea.” -IANS

Stop provoking others: China to Kim

MANILA: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says he urged his North Korean counterpart to abide by UN resolutions and stop provoking “the international community’s goodwill” with missile launches and nuclear tests.

Wang spoke to reporters in Manila after meeting with North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho on the sidelines of a regional meeting after the UN Security Council unanimously approved tough new sanctions to punish Pyongyang for its escalating nuclear and missile programs.

Wang said the two had an intensive conversation during which China urged North Korea to maintain calm. He says he told Ri “do not violate the UN decision or provoke the international community’s goodwill by conducting missile launches or nuclear tests.”