Bid against illicit shipping:

Asia

The US welcomed Saturday coordination on international efforts to implement UN Security Council Resolutions on North Korea’s illicit shipping activities that prohibit “ship-to-ship transfers of any goods or items to or from North Korean vessels of any goods or items going to or coming from North Korea.”

State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a statement that the US applauds the recent announcements from Japan, Australia and New Zealand regarding “monitoring and surveillance activities to detect UN-prohibited illicit North Korean maritime activities, with a particular focus on detecting and disrupting ship-to-ship transfers of refined petroleum to North Korean tankers in the East China Sea.”

“We are pleased that this coordinated, multinational initiative includes these countries, along with Canada, France, and the United Kingdom,” she noted.

She added that as part of this effort, “we are sharing information and coordinating efforts to ensure that UN Security Council Resolutions are implemented fully and effectively.”

She indicated that “in support of this initiative, the United States has deployed aircraft and surface vessels to detect and disrupt these activities.”

Nauert stressed that North Korea “continues to regularly employ deceptive tactics to evade UN sanctions.” Accordingly, UN Member States “are required to prohibit persons or entities subject to their jurisdiction from engaging in ship-to-ship transfers of refined petroleum.” (KUNA)

Nauert