Monitoring and surveillance activities by partner countries against illicit maritime activities including ship-to-ship transfers

September 7, 2018

Ministry of Defense

１．Partner countries, in addition to the U.S., have decided again to engage in monitoring and surveillance activities against illicit maritime activities, including ship-to-ship transfers with North Korean-flagged vessels prohibited by UNSCRs, based in Kadena Air Base from the middle of September. At present, Australia and New Zealand are planning to deploy patrol aircraft and engage in the activities subject to UN SOFA. (Reference) Patrol aircrafts of Australia and Canada engaged in monitoring and surveillance activities, based in Kadena Air Base for about a month from late April. In addition, British Royal Navy frigate HMS SUTHERLAND conducted monitoring activities on the high seas around Japan in early May.

２．Japan welcomes these activities from the view point of ensuring effectiveness of the relevant UNSCRs while maintaining the solidarity of international community for the realization of North Korea’s dismantlement of all WMD and ballistic missiles in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner.

３． The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force is also conducting information gathering activities for vessels suspected to be in the violation of UNSCRs, and Japan will work closely with related countries.