EU imposes restrictions on North Korean employees

The Council of the European Union on Tuesday said it was restricting work permits granted to North Korean nationals as well as the sale of natural gas and petroleum to the Asian country in response to Pyongyang's controversial nuclear and ballistic missile programme.

The EU Council has agreed to go along with the latest sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council on Pyongyang on September 11, 2017, through UNSC Resolution 2375 which bans the sale of natural gas to North Korea and the import of North Korean textiles, Efe news reported.

"Member states will not provide new work authorisations to DPRK nationals to enter and work in their territory as they are suspected of generating revenue which is used to support the country's illegal nuclear and ballistic missile programmes," the Council said in a statement.

As agreed by EU Foreign Ministers at their informal meeting in Tallinn on September 7, 2017, "the Council is currently working on possible additional EU autonomous sanctions to complement and reinforce the UN Security Council sanctions", the statement said.

The legal acts of the decision taken by the Council will be published in the Official Journal on Wednesday, when they will come into effect, the Council said.

--IANS

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