UK sends another warship to help impose North Korea sanctions

The UK is to deploy a third warship to help enforce sanctions against North Korea.

کد خبر: ۷۸۹۲۲۹

تاریخ: ۲۲ فروردين ۱۳۹۷ - ۰۹:۰۵

Amphibious assault ship HMS Albion will join HMS Sutherland and HMS Argyll, which is due in the region later in the year to take part in exercises with Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore.

The ships will enforce the UN ban on ship-to-ship transfers of goods destined for North Korea.

Several Chinese-registered ships have been seized for secretly siphoning off oil to North Korean ships in international waters over the past few months.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said: "Our Armed Forces are at the forefront of Global Britain, and the deployment of HMS Albion, Sutherland and Argyll demonstrates our unwavering commitment to our international responsibilities and to maintaining peace, security and prosperity in the region.

"Until North Korea matches its words with concrete actions, the UK will continue working closely with partners and allies to keep up pressure and strictly enforce existing sanctions, ensuring not only regional security but that of the UK as well."

Despite recent diplomatic overtures towards South Korea and the US, strict sanctions remain in place against the North Korean regime, due to its nuclear weapons programme.

Secret talks between the US and North Korea have now reportedly seen Pyongyang reveal directly its willingness to discuss the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula. Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un are due to meet in May.

If it goes ahead the meeting will follow a summit between the leaders of North and South Korea on 27 April - only the third ever to be held between the two countries.