Russia and China agree sanctions against North Korea useless

VLADIVOSTOK, September 7. /TASS/. China, just like Russia, believes the path of the sanctions pressure against North Korea has come to an end, Russian Ambassador to China Andrey Denisov told TASS on the sidelines on the third Eastern Economic Forum on Thursday.

"Toughening sanctions is some kind of a process. We, and, as far as I know, our Chinese counterparts believe that it has practically come to an end," Denisov said.

"The sanctions, which, according to the UN Security Council, should have impacted North Korea’s stance, have already been imposed, but, unfortunately, they have failed to achieve the desired effect," the diplomat stressed.

According to Denisov, further toughening sanctions against Pyongyang would be unwise. "Any steps in that direction would mean stifling North Korea’s economy. That will primarily affect ordinary citizens, the country’s population," he noted. "Therefore, we believe that there is no alternative to the peaceful solution path, and we must follow this path, convey this proposal to the North Korean leadership and persuade it to maintain dialogue."

On September 3, North Korea announced it had successfully tested a hydrogen charge, which could be used as a warhead for an intercontinental ballistic missile. The move has been condemned by the international community. Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier reiterated his stance during the talks with his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in saying that sanctions against North Korea are pointless and that Pyongyang should be involved in dialogue.

The 2017 Eastern Economic Forum was held in Vladivostok on September 6-7. TASS is the general information partner and the official photohost agency of the event. The news agency is also the operator of the forum’s presentation zone.