Japan, U.S., S. Korea, Others Set Up N. Korea Monitoring Team

   Seoul, Oct. 16 (Jiji Press)--Japan, the United States, South Korea and eight other countries on Wednesday announced the establishment of a multilateral team to monitor and report violations and evasions of sanctions against North Korea.
   The 11 countries, also including Britain, France, and Australia, created the team in response to the termination of the mandate of a panel of experts for the U.N. Security Council in April. The panel, tasked to monitor compliance with Security Council resolutions on North Korea sanctions, halted its work after Russia vetoed a term extension.
   The establishment of the new team was announced in a joint statement released on the day, when Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Masataka Okano, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun had a meeting in Seoul.
   The Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team will publish reports based on probes into violations and evasions of sanctions against North Korea stipulated in relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions.
   "It is a meaningful step toward the full implementation of the Security Council resolutions," Okano said of the establishment of the team. Kim called on other nations to join the team, saying it is open to any country that has a strong will.

(2024/10/16-20:50)

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