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UN envoy slams anti-Russian sanctions imposed over North Korea

The Russian diplomat has described the decision as an unfriendly move by the United States

UNITED NATIONS, August 23. /TASS/. Washington’s decision to slap sanctions on some Russian individuals and entities over their alleged support for the North Korean regime is an illegal step that will not help improve relations between Russia and the United States, Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya told reporters on Wednesday.

The diplomat described the decision as an unfriendly move by the US. He recalled that there is a UN mechanism on the North Korean sanctions, and the US should have applied to the relevant committee of the UN Security Council, if it feels that the sanctions should be expanded.

"We, first of all, condemn this move and, secondly, we don’t think it is legal and, thirdly, we don’t think it facilitates the stabilization," Nebenzya stressed.

On Tuesday, the US Department of the Treasury sanctioned several Chinese and Russian individuals and companies that it believes to be involved in business with North Korea. Ruben Kirakosyan, the Gefest metal trading company’s CEO, has been blacklisted.

Besides, sanctions were imposed against Andrei Serbin and Mikhail Pisklin who ran for the Vladivostok city parliament in 2012 and Irina Huish, the executive director of the Singapore-based Velmur Management company.