Clinton urges Asia to enforce North Korea sanctions

I / Phuket July 23, 2009, 13:32 IST

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today urged Southeast Asian and other nations to help enforce sanctions against North Korea and hailed a pledge by Myanmar to do so.     

Speaking to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum (ARF), Clinton also voiced hope that Myanmar, which Washington fears is receiving military support from North Korea, will be brought back into the world fold.     

"The United States will continue to work through every avenue to persuade North Korea to eliminate its nuclear programme and normalise relations with the world," she said according to a transcript of her remarks.     

 

"The ASEAN Regional Forum can play an important role in achieving this outcome," she told her counterparts from the 10-member ASEAN and 16 dialogue partners.     

She called on the ARF to continue carrying out the terms of a UN Security Council resolution imposed after North Korea's May 25 underground nuclear test.     

"That means denying North Korean vessels access to any trans-shipment points and cooperating with the enforcement of financial sanctions against those designated entities that support North Korea's efforts to acquire nuclear weapons," she said.     

Last week, in line with resolution 1874, the Security Council slapped sanctions on five individuals and five entities from North Korea known to be involved in Pyongyang's banned nuclear and ballistic missile activities.