Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has signed a decree on Russia implementing beefed-up UN Security Council sanctions against North Korea over a nuclear test last year.
Resolution 1874, toughening economic sanctions against North Korea and calling on UN member states to step up inspections of North Korean cargoes, was adopted unanimously on June 12, 2009, in the wake of an underground nuclear test carried out by Pyongyang on May 25. It was not clear what was behind the timing of Medvedev's order.
The presidential decree requires all government offices, enterprises, banks, organizations and individuals currently under Russia's jurisdiction to take into account that since June 12, 2009, it has been forbidden to purchase any kind of weapons and materials connected to them from North Korea.
Transit through Russian territory of all weapons and materials connected to them and exporting them to North Korea is also forbidden.
"Security is being stepped up in Russia in order to prevent any such operations in accordance with Russia's legal system," the decree said.
The decree also prohibits any financial aid for trade with North Korea, including issuing export loans, if such financial aid facilitates North Korea's nuclear weapons program and its proliferation activities.
"It is forbidden to take upon oneself new obligations to provide North Korea with grants, financial aid and cheap loans, with exception of those which are aimed either at pursuing humanitarian goals and ... denuclearization or directly oriented at the needs of the civilian population," the decree said.
The decree prohibits Russian higher education institutions from providing North Korean citizens with knowledge that could help the country advance its nuclear weapons program and develop its nuclear weapons delivery systems.
The six-party talks on Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions involving the two Koreas, China, the United States, Russia and Japan came to a halt last April when North Korea walked out of negotiations in protest at the United Nations' condemnation of a missile test.
The country is banned from conducting nuclear or ballistic missile tests under UN Resolution 1718, adopted after North Korea's first nuclear test on October 9, 2006.
However, Pyongyang carried out a second nuclear test on May 25 last year, followed by a series of short-range missile launches, and has threatened to build up its nuclear arsenal to counter what it calls hostile U.S. policies.
MOSCOW, March 30 (RIA Novosti)
