UN: Azerbaijan violates embargo on trade in arms with North Korea
The UN report accuses Azerbaijan of violating the embargo on trade in arms with North Korea. The report is prepared by the panel on monitoring sanctions against North Korea of the UN Security Council, the agency of "Ruskor" reports by the reference to “Associated Press”.
The report says that, “The panel also recommended sanctions against the Hesong Trading Corporation, a subsidiary of the Korea Mining Development Trading Corp., which was involved in trying to sell 70 North Korean portable anti-aircraft missiles to Azerbaijan. British arms dealer Michael Ranger was convicted in July 2012 of attempting to sell the missiles, and the panel also recommended that the U.N. put his primary contact at Hesong, O Hak-Chol, on the sanctions list.
"There is an e-mail correspondence with his arms supplier in North Korea. Ranger boasted that he was a guest of the Azerbaijani government, where he was taken around by a prestigious limousine at the time of the visit, while he was discussing the procurement of missiles. He also told the American producer of pistols Berettas, that in February 2010 he had received orders from the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Azerbaijan after meeting with "two people who were directly working with the president." This confirms Ranger’s intention to break the embargo," in the material states.
The UN report also point out a citizen of Kazakhstan who was involved in supplying arms to North Korea.The panel said it had closed its investigation into Thailand’s seizure of an arms shipment from a plane originating in North Korea in 2009 that was valued at over US$ 16 million. It recommended sanctions against Alexander Zykov of Kazakhstan and Ukrainians Iurii Lunov and Igor Karev-Popov, who were involved in the arms transfer.
Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry reacted on this information: "We have noticed in media reports information about the possible involvement of a citizen of Kazakhstan in violation of international sanctions against North Korea. We would like to note that this information is not confirmed. We would like to add that Kazakhstan has always supported and supports the policy of non-proliferation of arms and is always open for cooperation," said the spokesman of the Ministry Nurjan Aytmahanov.
Zykov also personally responded to media reports: "I have the documents proving my non-participation in this story and my innocence. I reiterate: I have no relation with this scandal! In the end, I have the right to defend my honor and dignity. If you insist that such a thing happened, I will have to go to court," said Zykov in an interview with "Vremya" on May 16.
He said that he does not work in aviation anymore. "I stopped aviation business after the incident in Thailand. I will not deny that the incident in Thailand has forced me to switch on to another activity. This has undermined my nerves and knocked me out of the rut, but now all that is left in the past. At least, I thought that it was left in the past," Zykov said.
There is no information about the reaction of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry on this matter.