November 5, 2021
１．From mid-November, German Navy frigate BAYERN will engage in monitoring and surveillance activities against illicit maritime activities, including ship-to-ship transfers with North Korean-flagged vessels prohibited by the United Nations Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs) in waters surrounding Japan including the East China Sea. It will be the first time for Germany to engage in such activities.
２．Japan welcomes these activities from the viewpoint of ensuring effective implementation of the relevant UNSCRs while maintaining the solidarity of the international community for the realization of North Korea’s dismantlement of all weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles of all ranges in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner.
３．The Japan Coast Guard and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force are also conducting information gathering activities for vessels suspected to be in violation of the UNSCRs, and Japan will work closely with related countries.