Moscow. April 30. INTERFAX-AVN - Russia will continue to implement all UN Security Council decisions regarding North Korea, Director of the First Asia Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry Georgy Zinoviev said in an interview with Interfax.
"Russia, being a responsible member of the international community, strictly implements all decisions of the UN Security Council. Accordingly, any changes to the restrictive regime imposed by the Security Council resolutions against the DPRK are possible only if it is revised in accordance with the procedure provided for by the UN Charter," Zinoviev said, answering the question whether the unprecedented sanctions imposed on Russia could prompt it to change its position on compliance with the restrictive regime against the DPRK.
"Taking into account the above, at the end of October 2021, together with China, a draft political and humanitarian resolution was circulated in the UN Security Council, suggesting a relaxation of the international sanctions regime against the DPRK in the humanitarian sphere and other civilian areas not related to the nuclear missile program. Unfortunately, the United States does not demonstrate readiness to discuss it," Zinoviev said.
"We are still determined to provide assistance to North Korean partners in the spirit of friendship and good neighborliness. Humanitarian supplies have been carried out by us for many years both on a bilateral basis and through international organizations. So, in 2020, in accordance with the decision of the President of the Russian Federation, 50 thousand tons of wheat were sent to the North Korean side free of charge. Through the World Food Programme (WFP) During the period 2020-2021, Russia provided assistance to the DPRK in the amount of $ 7 million," the Russian diplomat said.
"In the context of the suspension of the work of representative offices of international organizations on the territory of the DPRK, including the UN WFP, the question of specific forms and volumes of humanitarian assistance from Russia this year remains open and will be resolved as soon as the strict anti-epidemic restrictions imposed by Pyongyang, providing for the complete closure of state borders, are lifted," he stressed.