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UN Security Council imposes tough sanctions against North Korea over nuclear test

The resolution bans imports of coal, iron ore, titanium, vanadium, gold and other precious metals from North Korea and imposes an embargo on the delivery of all types of aviation fuel to that country

UNITED NATIONS, March 2. /TASS/. The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution on Wednesday on considerably toughening sanctions against North Korea in response to Pyongyang’s nuclear test and the launch of a carrier rocket with a satellite.

The document resolutely denounces these acts, which violated the four previous UN Security Council resolutions Nos. 1718, 1874, 2087 and 2094 passed from 2006 to 2013.

The resolution, the talks on which were conducted among the United States, China and Russia, bans the imports of coal, iron ore, titanium, vanadium, gold and other precious metals from North Korea, and imposes an embargo on the delivery of all types of aviation fuel to that country.

Also, the document obliges countries to check all cargoes destined for North Korea to see if they include prohibited goods and technologies.

The UN Security Council has also made a decision to toughen the arms embargo and expand financial sanctions on the North Korean banking sector.

As a separate item, the document stipulates a stricter embargo on the delivery of luxury items to North Korea. In particular, this embargo now applies to expensive watches, snowmobiles and yachts.

The North Korean authorities announced on February 7 that they had launched a carrier rocket with the satellite Kwanmenson (the Bright Star). A month before the launch, Pyongyang held the fourth underground nuclear test over the past ten years.

The UN Security Council resolutions prohibit Pyongyang from engaging in any activity linked with nuclear technologies and the development of ballistic missiles.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power said at a session of the UN Security Council that the new resolution stipulated the toughest package of sanctions imposed by the Security Council over more than 20 years.

Russia’s Permanent Envoy to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin said on Monday that the text of the resolution was not "100% ideal" and had to be adopted "over certain challenges from North Korea."

According to Churkin, the US delegation took into account some of Russia’s wishes in the process of preparing the document.