India supported the US move to impose sanctions against North Korea.
India has voted for a United States-sponsored resolution to strengthen sanctions on North Korea, which was vetoed by China and Russia.
The US launched an unsuccessful attempt on Thursday to punish North Korea, which tested three missiles after US President Joe Biden’s visits to South Korea and Japan on Wednesday.
Speaking on the proposal, US Permanent Representative Linda Thomas-Greenfield warned that North Korea was preparing for an imminent nuclear test. The failed resolution would have tightened restrictions on a wide range of products from crude oil to tobacco and frozen the assets of a cybercriminal organization.
The veto marked another phase of intensification in the confrontation at the Council between Western countries and China and Russia.
The other 13 countries of the Council presented a united front on the issue of North Korea. Following Russia’s veto of resolutions in the council condemning the invasion of Ukraine, the issue will now go to the General Assembly under new procedures.
Although the Assembly does not have the enforcement powers of the Council, it will now take up issues vetoed by a permanent member in the Council in the hope that it will show the alienation of the veto-jurisdictional.
India, which had been neutral on resolutions on the Ukraine conflict, which was vetoed by Russia, did not shy away from the proposal, for which the main opposition came from China.
India did not speak during the Council’s discussion on the resolution on Thursday, but had earlier raised concerns about the transfer of North Korean missile technology to Pakistan.
Without naming the two countries, India’s Permanent Representative TS Tirumurti told the council on March 25, “India also believes that there is a need to address the proliferation of DPRK (North Korea)-related nuclear and missile technologies in our region.” There is a dire need. These relations have an adverse impact on peace and security in the region including India.”
North Korea has exchanged missile technology with Pakistan for nuclear weapons technology.
Before the session began, China’s Permanent Representative Zhang Jun went to Tirumurti, speaking in India’s seat along with Brazil’s envoy Ronaldo Costa Filho.
Jhan sat in a seat for the Indian delegation behind Tirumurti and the three diplomats were seen in an animated conversation.
Later speaking to the council on the resolution, Zhang tried to link it to Indo-Pacific developments and said the US was making North Korea a chess piece for its strategy for the region.
During his Asian visit, Biden held a quad summit with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Japan’s Fumio Kishida and Australia’s newly-elected Anthony Albanese in Japan.
Zhang said: “The crux of the matter is whether or not one wants to use the Korean peninsula issue as a card for their so-called Indo-Pacific strategy, whether they want to use the Korean peninsula issue as a card.” Want to do or not. His so called Indo-Pacific strategy is sitting on the chessboard. That’s the nature of the issue.”
He and Russia’s Permanent Representative Vasily Nebenzia said punitive sanctions would not help solve the problem with Pyongyang, but would only add to the suffering of that country’s people.
Thomas-Greenfield stated that the Council’s restraint has been counterproductive and “the DPRK has taken the Council’s silence as a green light to act with impunity and to increase tensions on the peninsula”.
It said the sanctions would not affect the humanitarian needs of North Koreans who are facing a COVID crisis. He said the US has offered vaccines and medical aid, which Pyongyang has not accepted.
North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un is trying to take advantage of his engagement with Ukraine while testing Biden, a business personality. They have conducted at least 16 missile tests so far this year, some of which may be intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).
Kim Jong-un suspended missile and nuclear tests in 2017 during a battle of diplomacy with equally unexpected former US President Donald Trump, which was matched by his verbal outburst.
Trump’s diplomatic efforts came to an end after an unsuccessful meeting with Kim in Singapore. Kim resumed missile tests last year, two days after Biden took office.
The sanctions proposed by the US cut crude exports to North Korea and banned the export of its mineral products as well as some other materials.
Tobacco exports to North Korea would also have been stopped. The US also sought to freeze the assets of an organization called the Lazarus Group, which North Korea uses for cyber robbery and espionage and which has been accused of spreading malware.
The freeze will also apply to one company that provides manpower overseas and another that is a defense contractor in Mozambique.
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