From early October to late-October, the French Republic will engage in monitoring and surveillance activities of illicit maritime activities, including ship-to-ship transfers by North Korean-flagged vessels which are prohibited by United Nations Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs), using aircraft from Futenma Air Base under the Agreement Regarding the Status of the United Nations Forces in Japan. It will be the fourth time such activities have taken place since 2019.
Japan welcomes these activities from the viewpoint of ensuring effective implementation of the relevant UNSCRs in solidarity with the international community toward 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.
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force are also conducting information gathering activities for vessels suspected to be in violation of the UNSCRs, and Japan works closely with related countries including the French Republic.
