Russia slaps sanctions against DPRK

Russia has introduced sanctions against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in line with the UN Security Council's resolution 2094, the Kremlin said Monday. The decree, signed by President Vladimir Putin, bans Russian citizens, organizations and businesses from trading commodities with the DPRK or providing financial transactions related to Pyongyang's nuclear and missile program. According to the decree, Russia starts inspecting the consignments originating from DPRK or using it as a transit route on suspicion of containing prohibited content. Russia also reserves the right from now on to ban any airplane from taking off from its territory, or landing there or transiting Russian airspace if Moscow has information that the plane carries prohibited cargo. DPRK's banks are also banned from operating in Russia or running joint ventures in cooperation with Russian financial institutions in accordance with the degree. In November, Putin urged unconditional resumption of the six- party talks on denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula involving the DPRK, the Republic of Korea (ROK), China, the United States, Russia and Japan. The DPRK walked out of the six-party talks in April 2009 in protest against fresh UN sanctions.